A Christmas Miracle
by JessicaBrennan
Summary: A/U-Four Eaton doesn't have any Christmas spirit. Tris Prior is determined to awaken it for him. What happens? Read and find out.
1. Chapter 1

(A/N-Thanks to Lynn for beta reading this for me. Appreciate it so much. And I hope you all enjoy reading this for this holiday month.)

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Four Eaton was sitting at his desk with the windows behind him frosted over with the snow that seemed to be continuously falling in this cold city. It was only the first week of December and he was already craving his yearly vacation; this year he was headed to Paris. He'd had three phone calls this morning about the Christmas Party already. Going away every year kept him from having to endure the friendly Christmas get togethers and gift exchanges, but as CEO of Dauntless Inc. it couldn't save him from the annual party. He had to re-direct the calls all back to his assistant. He paid for the party, but he didn't take any part in arranging it. He was no Ebenezer Scrooge. It's not that he didn't believe in Christmas or want to deny it to anyone else; it's just that he finds no charm in it.

He had done his best every year to avoid all things Christmas since then, except for the party. He had an obligation to his employees, one that he fully planned to continue fulfilling. He had to make an appearance and wish them well. They worked hard for him; he truly appreciated their dedication and he wanted them to know that. He also gave the yearly address to inform them all how the company had fared over the past year and what kind of changes they may be looking at in the future. He had to do it, but he didn't have to like it.

The buzzer on his desk phone went off and he picked it up.

"Yes, Laurel?"

"I'm sorry, sir but I just need one more signature from you and then I promise unless it's a dire emergency I won't bother you again about the party." Laurel had been with him long enough to know that enduring the Christmas season was a chore for him. She did a wonderful job of stopping it at his door. Unless it was about money, she handled it.

He had founded his company eight years before. It was a one man operation back then and he was the man. Laurel had walked in off the street one day looking for a job and because he'd just gained two new clients that same day, and he was feeling like he deserved some help, he'd hired her. The first six months there were times when he had to dip into his savings just to pay her. He thought so many times during that time in his life about letting her go, explaining to her that he just couldn't afford her salary, but he didn't do it. She was more than an outstanding employee, although not quite a friend. He didn't have many of those. He didn't have time for it. Back then he was working to get the company off the ground. Within a year his company was making high six figures and then he was working hard to keep it off the ground. He barely had time for himself much less a bunch of people who might expect his attention outside of work. He had to hire ten people that year and he was glad that he'd held onto Laurel. If it hadn't been for her, there were days when the whole operation would have fallen completely apart. Now, eight years later she is still his right hand gal.

"No worries, Laurel. Bring them in and I'll sign them and then I have to meet with Zeke over in marketing."

"Thank you, sir."

Four smiled as he put the phone down. He had told Laurel a million times that she didn't have to call him "sir." For one thing, he was twenty-nine and she was thirty-four. He felt silly answering to "sir" from a woman who could have been his mother. It was so hard for people to see me as a twenty-nine year old man. When you sat behind a desk as powerful as mine, they forgot that you were only human.

Laurel came bustling in. Everything she did was with haste, like the very foundation of the company depended on it. Sometimes it could be just a little bit annoying, but it had served the company well so he couldn't complain. She was one of the employees that he appreciated so much, and one of the reasons that he showed up at the Christmas party at all.

"Here you go, sir. The first document is the mini-contract we drew up for the charity auction and the second one is for the employee gift cards."

Four signed them both, trusting Laurel enough that he wasn't going to read through a simple document for the party. When he finished she said, the same as she did every year at this time, "If your plans change or your flight gets canceled because of weather or anything sir, please remember that you're always welcome to spend Christmas with my family and me."

"Thank you, Laurel." He had yet to meet her family. Maybe he really was Scrooge. "I already have the trip arranged and barring a blizzard I'll be out of this cold city before the sun sets on Christmas Eve. I'll be in Zeke's office for an hour or two if you need me."

"Thank you, sir," she said.

Four gathered his tablet and the files he needed for the meeting with his Director of Marketing, Zeke Pedrad. Zeke was another lucky find. He'd come to him from a corporation that Daunless Inc. had taken over. It wasn't a hostile takeover per se, but it was gut-wrenching for the owners who had to sell because of age and medical issues. Zeke was brand new to their company when all of that happened and while he was still in the early stages of the take-over and the employees of the previous owners were up in arms about whether or not they would still have a job, he met Zeke purely by accident in the conference room one day. He'd slipped in, trying to find a place where he could have a moment's peace and eat his lunch since he didn't have an office there yet and in bursts this boisterous young man who, as he'd found out since, never stops talking.

Without knowing who he was at the time, Zeke took out his own lunch, sat down and began to talk about the "tyrant" who ran the company that was "swallowing up" the one he was working for. Zeke went on to speak about the ideas that he still had in the works for marketing the company that he was absorbing. He had some amazing ideas and when he finally stopped talking for five minutes, Four introduced himself. The look on his face was comparable to that of a man headed to the gallows to be relieved of the burden of carrying around his head. Four let him sweat over it for two weeks before he had HR inform him that his position would be rolled over to the new company if he would like for it to be. He was brilliant at what he did, but he had no idea when he should keep his mouth shut. They'd become friends since then, and Zeke was one of the few people who worked for him that didn't kiss his ass or cow down to him. It was a big part of why Four liked him.

He took the elevator down to the third floor where marketing was located. When the elevator door slid open; for a second he thought he'd landed in a dream. There was a young lady standing there, waiting to get on. She had long, blonde hair and grey eyes, but the thing he noticed most about her was her smile. It was big and genuine and she had deep dimples on either side of her face. Four was so stunned by her that he almost forgot to step off. She didn't seem to know who he was, but she jauntily said, "Have a nice day!" nonetheless as he finally remembered this was his stop.

Before he could reply, the doors were closing. He did see that she had a lanyard and a key card around her neck, so he assumed she worked for him. He'd have to look into that after he got back from his trip. He didn't have the time between now and then to date or cultivate any type of new relationship. Besides, during the holidays if you were dating a woman, she expected you to spend them with her. No matter how beautiful she was, that wasn't going to happen.

Although it was hard, he re-focused on what he was doing and headed on down the hallway to Zeke's office, preparing himself for an hour or two of Zeke's overly enthusiastic company.

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Tris Prior was in the middle of a brainstorming session with Al when HR called and said they needed her to sign some slips to authorize a couple of employee's vacation time. She'd only recently been promoted to Assistant Manager of the Marketing department at Dauntless Inc. She didn't have all the ins and outs of it quite down yet and she'd signed them in the wrong place. Normally, a person might find it tedious to be pulled from what they were doing to sign a few forms. She didn't today, however, for two reasons: One, Al was completely infatuated with her so it was uncomfortable when they had to work alone together. It's not that he's a bad guy; he's just not the guy for her. She felt no attraction to him whatsoever at all, and she didn't want to put herself in a situation where she would have to tell him that and hurt his feelings. Since she started at Dauntless nine months earlier he's been asking me out. She told a white lie…that I was seeing someone the first time he asked, so now he "check's in" on it periodically. She always tell him that same fib, one of these days she's sure it's going to run out of steam. She looked upon the call as a gift and she hurried right out to take care of her obligations.

The other reason she was happier than she should have been about getting interrupted was that when the elevator doors opened, she'd come face to face with the most beautiful man that she's ever seen. He looked a little distracted and stood still when the doors opened for a few minutes, like he wasn't sure if this was the right floor. It gave her several seconds to notice his blue eyes and perfectly tailored suit. It fit him like a glove and when he had his back to her as he stepped off; she noticed how nicely it fit his broad shoulders and rippled across the muscles in his back. His hair was brown and when he finally smiled at me it was the slow, easy smile of a confident man. Her hormones were practically raging like a teenager just from that one delicious look. By the time the doors closed, her mouth was as dry as a desert.

Tris forced herself to tuck away the vision of him for now as she stepped off the elevator on the first floor and made her way to the HR department. She's sure she'd be calling it back up later. When she pushed in the door of the office she saw Amber, the HR manager for the company.

"Hi Tris! I'm sorry to have the girls pull you away from your work, but with the holidays coming up, we have so much paperwork in for these day off requests."

"It's okay; I apologize for signing them in the wrong place." she didn't tell her how much she appreciated her timing.

Amber waved a hand at her and said, "They're not that user friendly. We're working on re-designing them. We should have new ones out by the New Year. By the way, did you sign up for the auction yet? You can do that here if you like? I'm volunteering and I think Zeke is too, isn't he?" She had no idea what she was talking about.

"Volunteering for what?" Tris asked her.

"To be sold at the auction?" Her face must have been blank because she said, "For the children's Charity?"

"I'm sorry Amber. I've been a little bit overwhelmed with my new management duties so if I did hear about that, I didn't process it. I got my invitation for the Christmas party yesterday. I'm super-excited about that." Tris loved Christmas. It was literally her favorite time of year and she savored every part of it. Her last job had been at a bank and the administration there had been so concerned that they may offend someone they had cancelled the "Holiday" party all-together. That was the reason they gave them anyways. She'd always been suspicious that it was just about saving the money it cost them. From what she heard about this party, Mr. Eaton spared no expense.

"Yes, the party is a lot of fun," Amber said. "I look forward to it every year. The auction though is kind of a company tradition too. That will be held on the fourteenth, it's a Thursday evening. Two members of management from each department are auctioned off to the highest bidder and in doing that they agree to be "ordered around" by their purchaser for an entire day. We do that the next day on Friday since most of the managers normally have that day off anyways. The money from that goes to a children's charity Mr. Eaton supports."

"What sorts of things do they order you to do?" Tris asked her.

"It's all in fun. Last year I had to sit by the fire, drink hot chocolate and eat homemade cookies while watching a marathon of old black and white Christmas movies with Lance in the production department."

Tris laughed, "That actually sounds like my kind of day."

"Right? Me too. It's fun, you should volunteer. It's for a good cause too. Mr. Eaton not only gives all the money earned to the Children's foundation but he matches it as well."

"I'd love to do it," Tris told her. It really did sound like a lot of fun. Her boss sounded like a really generous man too. She liked that. Tris came from a family where generosity was looked upon fondly. "I'm looking forward to finally meeting Mr. Eaton at the Christmas party," Tris told her.

"Oh, you haven't met him yet?"

"No, the day that I was hired, it was one of your girls who interviewed me…Lucy? I think that was her name. Then the promotion was just inter-departmental so Zeke handled that. I could have passed him in the hallway I guess and just didn't know who he was."

"Maybe," Amber said. "But I guarantee you wouldn't forget him if you saw him."

"Why's that?" Tris asked her. Amber smiled a naughty smile and said, "You'll see at the party. Here, there are the forms for you to sign as well as the sign up forms for the auction."

Smiling Tris said, "Thanks. You're not going to tell me what it is about Mr. Eaton that is so unforgettable?" It seemed from the look on her face that he was as attractive as he was generous. But, Tris guessed it could have been the opposite as well.

"He's just hard to describe," she said. "You'll see him soon." Tris left there wondering if the man had two heads or something. Either way, she was looking forward to finding out. What she'd read about him was all good. He was lauded as one of the most brilliant business minds of the century. He'd invested his life savings…which according to Forbes was a paltry sum and eight years later he was a billionaire running a multi-national company. Money didn't interest her much, but she was fascinated by intelligent, driven people.

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Tris took the paperwork for the auction back with her when she resumed the meeting with Al. That was a mistake. As soon as he saw that she was up for bid, he was all over it.

"This is going to be the best auction ever!" he said, enthusiastically. "Last year I bid on and won Aurora from accounting. She and I had the best day. We went to the movies and had dinner… I'm sure I'll have plenty of competition bidding on you," he said. "But for you I'm willing to break the bank."

As much as she was looking forward to doing a good deed for charity, and she thought Al was harmless, she was afraid that spending the day with him would only perpetuate this fantasy he has of them being together someday.

"Oh, don't waste your money on me."

"Waste? Are you kidding? I'd pay just to be seen with you, Tris." He was so sweet and he had innocence about him as well. But, he did nothing for her. She honestly thought something like this would only encourage him, and that wouldn't be right.

Tris agonized for almost two weeks over what to do about it when she got an idea and went to see her friend Robert in production.

"Hey Tris! Long time no see!"

"Hey John," Tris said, accepting his kiss on the cheek. "How are Phyllis and the kids?" Robert and Tris had known each other since college. His wife and her had become friends over the years and they had the most adorable pair of twins she'd ever seen. Robert was the one who had referred her for the job she had now.

"They are great. The twins are finally sleeping through the night so Phyllis and I are getting used to seeing the world with clear eyes again."

Tris smiled and said, "I might have an idea that could help us both out."

"I'm game. What's up?"

She told him about the auction and about Al. He laughed.

"Al's crushing on you hard, huh? He's kind of relentless that way. The last girl he attached himself to around here got another job out of state. There was speculation she only took it to get away from him."

Tris laughed too. She knew that Robert was only half kidding. Al was the kind of guy who never gave up until he wasn't given any other choice. She really didn't want to crush the poor guy. But, she didn't want to be saddled with him either.

"So if I give you the cash, will you bid on me?" Tris asked him.

"Sure, then I can order you to watch the twins while Phyllis and I have a real date?"

"Absolutely," Tris said. "I'll let you know that night how much I'll be able to afford," she told him.

"What if there are multiple guys bidding? Should I bid against them all?"

"I doubt that'll happen," Tris said.

"Oh please, I know you've seen you. You own a mirror, right? Besides, I was witness to the droves of men who lined up to date you in college."

"Shut up," Tris said. Yes, she knew that men found her attractive. She didn't ever hurt for a date if she wanted one. But, she was also mature enough these days to know that there was so much more to her than that, and she wanted a man who would appreciate all of her. The thing about being twenty-six was that as much as she loved to have fun, she was beginning to think about settling down. She wasn't sure who she was looking for, but she's sure when she did meet him, she'll know. Until then, she wasn't willing to get herself in a position where she'd miss "Him" when he showed up. She'd rather spend her Friday babysitting the twins than giving some poor guy false hope.

The time flew by and on the morning of the auction Tris stopped by and gave Robert the money she could afford for him to bid on her.

"Wow, this is a good deal of money," he said.

"I have an account that I put money into all year for Christmas charities. I just love Christmas so much. I enjoy knowing that my money helps make someone else's better. This year, it will all go to the kids I guess. That's okay though, I'm sure they will put it to good use."

"Okay," he'd said with a grin and fanning the money, "Get prepared for dirty diapers and a lot of spitting up." Tris didn't know much about kids, but she knew that she'd be able to figure it out. Robert's twins were three months old, a boy and a girl. As much work as she knew they'd be to take care of, she also knew it was going to be a fun, rewarding experience. She was looking forward to the challenge.

After she left Robert and Phyllis's house she went to work for a few hours. She took off early and went shopping for something new to wear to the auction. She spent too much time wandering around the mall. The Christmas decorations and lights were up and the smell of pine and cinnamon wafted around as soft Christmas music played in the background. She stopped and watched as the children lined up to see Santa Claus. Watching them made her happy and reminded her of how, when she was small, her parents would always take her to see him on the first day of December. Her mom would dress her up pretty in her Christmas clothes and her dad would enthusiastically snap photos as Santa and she went through her list. Then at the end when Santa asked, "Have you been a good girl this year?" Her daddy would look at her with so much pride in his face.

"She's the best."

Tris wasn't in a hurry to have kids, but se'd really love to someday. She fantasized about what it would be like when she was the one to take them to see Santa Claus.

After a while she finally realized if she didn't get home soon, she wouldn't have time to get ready. She forced herself to leave the Christmassy atmosphere and went home to her apartment that she'd begun transforming for the season just this week. She didn't have her tree yet to put the final touches on, but the rest of the place looked, smelled, and if you stuck a hand in the candy bowls, even tasted like Christmas.

She took out the pretty new dress she'd bought today and looked at it. Tris wasn't a girl who liked to go with the latest fashions. She was always looking for something that would make her stand out from the crowd. Today, she found the cutest 1950's retro blue, green and black plaid Audrey Hepburn style dress. It was sleeveless, so it was marked 50% off too. She had a blue sweater that matched it perfectly and a blue pair of heels, so the only other thing she bought to go with it was a little petticoat that made the skirt flare out. When she put it on she felt soft and feminine.

She curled her hair in long, soft curls and applied her make-up carefully. When she was ready, she took a final glance in the mirror and decided she should at least be worth a couple of hundred bucks.

The auction was being held at a hotel in town that was also owned by Dauntless Inc. The company seemed to dabble in almost everything and from what she'd heard; Mr. Eaton had founded it on his own with very little capital. Of course, what he considered a small amount of money to someone else could be a large one.

She found the ball room and was surprised to see how many people were already there. Al spotted her and waved eagerly. Tris waved back, nervously scanning the room for Robert. She finally spotted him sitting right up front. Good boy! She knew she could count on him. She felt much better.

They called those of who would be auctioned off to the back and they waited together in a nice little room that they had set up a table full of drinks and snacks in. Zeke brought a deck of cards, knowing from experience how long the wait could be. Tris was second to last on the list and Zeke was last, so they entertained themselves with raucous hands of "go fish" and "21." Zeke could be loud and crass sometimes, but he was a lot of fun.

Tris could hear some of what was going on out front and she was both surprised and happy to find out that she worked with some really generous people. Some of her co-workers were going for over five hundred dollars. It did make her worry that maybe she hadn't given Robert enough cash. He had five hundred, but in her mind she thought the bidding would be stopping around three. There was nothing much she could do at this point other than hold her breath, cross her fingers and hope for the best. She didn't know Al's financial situation, but she doubted he could afford to throw away five hundred bucks.

When it was her turn Zeke winked at her and said, "Knock 'em dead girl." Tris wasn't shy about being the center of attention; thanks to her parents who put her in every sport she was interested in including dance and gymnastics while she was growing up. She stood on the stage and waved at a few of her friends in the audience. The auctioneer told the audience her name and what department she worked in and then he started the bidding at a hundred dollars. She was literally shocked to see about eight hands go up. Al had moved to the front and he and Robert were on opposite sides of the stage. The other six or so men were scattered throughout the audience.

The auctioneer took the bidding up to two hundred dollars and then three before a couple of the men dropped out. At four it was Robert, Al and another man that she thought may have worked with Robert in production. When it went up to five, Al and Robert were all that was left. She knew that was all Robert had… she thought she was doomed to spend a day doing Al's bidding until she suddenly saw a hand go up in the back and heard a smooth, masculine voice say, "Six hundred."

"Six fifty," Al said, smugly.

"Eight hundred," the man at the back called out. Al was so close to the stage that she could see his face. She felt bad for him actually, he looked distressed. She hoped he wasn't going to bid so much that he wasn't able to afford it.

"Eight-fifty," Tris heard Al say. The man in the back smoothly countered.

"Ten thousand dollars." Al's face did nothing to hide his emotions. He was sunk and he was not happy about it.

"Going once at ten thousand, going twice, sold for ten thousand dollars."

Tris was flabbergasted that someone had paid that much money to spend the day with her. She could see Robert's face as she climbed down off the stage and it said, "I told you so."

Tris went over to see him first and he said, "I told you there'd be a battle over you."

Smiling Tris replied, "I was a little nervous there for a minute. Al came close."

"Who was that who out-bid me?" Robert asked.

"He was too far back and the lights were in my eyes so I couldn't see him. I was hoping you knew."

"Nope, I was too intent up here on doing my job," he said with a grin. "I didn't recognize the voice as anyone I know though."

"Well, thank you for trying." Tris gave him a kiss on the cheek and he handed her back the five hundred dollars she'd given him. She tucked it away to now be used for what she'd originally intended, thanked him again and headed to the back to see if she could catch her new employer-for-a-day.

She didn't know who to look for or who to ask, so she went to the table where they marked down who bought who and for how much.

"Excuse me, can you tell me who it was who won my auction? I'd like to thank him," Tris said.

The lady at the table's name was Laurel. Tris had met her at a few meetings and knew she was Mr. Eaton's assistant. She smiled and said, "I'm sorry sweetie; he very generously requested we keep it a secret for now. He'll contact you."

"He paid you not to tell me?"

"He didn't pay me. He gave an extra thousand for the charity though with that request."

Wow, this man just laid down eleven thousand dollars for me. Who in the world was he?


	2. Chapter 2

_**(A/N-Special thanks to Lynn for beta reading this. And also thanks to all who read, review, follow and fav this story. You guys are amazing!)**_

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Tris went home that night and had trouble sleeping as her mind combed through every male employee she'd met since beginning at Dauntless Inc. It was a huge corporation and their offices alone had eighteen different divisions. They worked in a ten story building in Manhattan and so far, she hadn't had a need to go above the sixth floor. That meant even if she had met everyone on the first six floors which she strongly doubted, there were four more floors of mystery. Well, actually only three. The top floor was reserved for the offices of Mr. Eaton himself, so she didn't think that one counted. She doubted the man himself showed up for silly things like that. Besides, he already employed us all, he didn't have to pay for one of them to work for him for a day.

She finally took a long, hot bubble bath and drank some tea and by one or two a.m. she at last fell asleep. It seemed like only minutes later she was awakened by an annoying ringing sound. She couldn't open her eyes at first; she just lay there and wished it would stop. When she realized it was the phone, her thoughts jumped to discovering the identity of her mystery man. She was suddenly awake and alert. She picked up the phone and said hello. She wasn't disappointed.

"Hello, is this Tris?" It was the same silky, masculine voice that she'd heard bidding for her last night.

"Yes it is. Who is this?"

"I'm the one who bought you for the day."

"Don't I get to know your name?"

"Not just yet," he said. Tris wondered what all the mystery was about. "I have my chauffeur on his way to your apartment. He'll be dropping off a costume for you soon."

Oh great, a kinky one, she thought. But then he went on to say, "He will also have a car full of presents which you will drop off, in costume at the local orphanages and elder care homes. The driver will know where to take you and the presents are wrapped, but marked with the appropriate place to drop them off."

"That sounds like fun!" Tris said, "I love Christmas!"

He didn't respond to that. Instead, he said, "When you finish that task, you'll be contacted again with further instructions."

"Sounds like a plan!" Tris told him, excitedly. She was looking forward to the day, and hopefully to finally meeting him later on. He must be a really generous man to hand out presents all over town, and she just couldn't get that voice out of her head. As she was pondering it all, her doorbell rang. She opened the door to an older man in a chauffer's uniform, holding a box.

"Miss Prior?"

"Yes," Tris told him. "But please call me Tris."

He smiled slightly and said, "I'm James. This box has the costume for you to wear and I'll be downstairs waiting with the car when you're ready."

"Okay… hey James, who sent the costume?"

This time he smiled outright and said, "That's not for me to say, Miss." He tipped his hat at me and turned and left. Tris shook her head and carried the box inside. She sat it down on the couch and pulled off the ribbon that held it together. When she slipped off the lid she was surprised to find a green and red elf costume inside. It was a green, sparkly dress that came to about mid-thigh with red fur trim around the neckline and sleeves. There were slippers with pointed toes and silver bells attached to them and even a hat to match the dress with pointed ears sewn on. She was ecstatic! She loved stuff like this. This was what Christmas was about.

She got ready as quickly as she could; knowing James was waiting for her. When she finished dressing she looked in the mirror to see the perfect reflection of an elf. She was tickled and looking forward to this a lot. She grabbed her bag and keys and headed down to meet James. He was standing next to the car and when he saw her, an amused expression lit up his face. He opened the back door of the giant limousine for her and as she slid in on the supple leather seat he said, "You look fabulous, Miss."

"Why thank you, James. I feel fabulous."

He closed the door and went around to his side. There was a partition between them that Tris assumed was for privacy, but she didn't need any and the car was so big, she felt lonely in the back all alone. She tapped on the window and James lowered it a few inches.

"Did you need something, Miss?"

"It's just lonely back here, James. Can we leave the partition down?" He smiled and lowered it the rest of the way. That felt better to her, she could breathe, and talk to James.

The first place they stopped was a home ran by social services where kids who came into the system were sent while they awaited a spot at a foster home, or court with mom and dad, or adoption. It was a large, three story Victorian home that had been converted. James told her they knew they were coming and should be ready for them. She knocked and was let in by a plump middle aged woman whose red dress and dark red cheeks reminded Tris of Mrs. Claus. She introduced herself as the "headmistress" of the house, Mrs. Grimes. She led Tris and James who was carrying a large sack and an armload of packages behind her into a big open room with a Christmas tree in the center and about twenty small children gathered around it in a circle.

"Hi! I'm Tris the elf!" Tris said.

"Hi Tris!" came the resounding reply from twenty small voices.

"Santa Claus is extra busy this year. He asked that I come by and deliver some gifts to you because you've all been so good." One of the little girls in the front row raised her hand. She was about four years old. Her hair was blonde and had two pigtails. The dress she wore was worn, but her face was scrubbed clean and she looked healthy. "Yes?" Tris said, looking at her.

"Brady hasn't been good. He pulls my hair."

Tris tried to keep a straight face as she said, "Well, Santa Claus must have seen him doing something nice to make up for it, because he was on the nice list."

"He did give me his extra pancake at breakfast," she said.

Tris smiled then and said, "That must have been it."

James helped Tris and together they handed out presents out. When all the gifts had been handed out, they also gave them little bags of Christmas cookies that looked homemade. When they left, they all had smiles on their faces and her heart felt full and happy. They traveled the city for the next few hours spreading the same kind of joy. After the first couple of stops, the formerly stoic chauffeur was smiling from ear to ear and laughing at all her jokes.

Carrying the packages in and passing them out was no small task and Tris began to wonder if her mystery boss was afflicted somehow and that's why he'd hired her to do this. He was definitely a wealthy, generous man. The kids were getting toys and clothing that kids in two-parent homes may not have been able to get because of the expense and the elderly were receiving robes and slippers and for some of the men, boxes of cigars that she knew didn't come cheap. She'd tried to prod information out of James along the way, but he wasn't forthcoming with any.

On the way to one of our stops, Tris said, "I know you can't tell me who this man is, but can you answer just a question or two about him?"

"Hmm, that would depend on the question, I believe," he said with a grin.

"Is he always so generous, or only at Christmas time?"

"He's a very generous employer throughout the year," James said. "He does always give quite a bit to the community during the holidays."

"Why doesn't he take the presents out himself?" Tris asked. James looked sad.

"Christmas is a time of year that our boss doesn't care for. He avoids Christmas and everything he can that goes along with it. He wants to give back to the community however and this is a way he can do that. He usually just hires people to deliver them. I like this idea better."

Tris had a hard time imagining anyone who didn't like Christmas. Christmas was literally her favorite time. She enjoyed it when she was a child even more than her birthday.

"Why doesn't he like Christmas?" Tris asked him.

James chuckled and said, "You'll have to ask him that yourself when you meet him."

"What should I call him when we meet?"

He laughed outright again and said, "Tricky Miss Tris, but I'm not falling for it."

They took care of their last stop, a residential care facility for the elderly. More than one of the old ladies and even one old man got tears in their eyes when they received their gifts. Tris was touched to see that her secret employer had also thought about the elderly who weren't able to intake sugar because of a medical condition. He'd sent sugarless snacks that looked as appetizing as the sugared ones.

Tris realized after they left the care home how tired she was. She also realized that it was after one o'clock and they hadn't had lunch yet. She was about to ask him about it when the car phone rang. James put it on speaker and Tris heard her mystery man's beautiful voice float out.

"Hello Tris, how is the day going?"

"It's been so much fun," Tris told him, sincerely.

"Good," he said, sounding amused. "And how did you like the costume?"

"Loved it!" Tris said.

"Really? That's great," he said, sounding surprised. She could tell that he found it strange and amusing that she hadn't been embarrassed to dress like an elf. "How would you like to go to the offices and hand out the presents to each department in full costume?"

"I'd love to," Tris told him, "You must be one of the executives…" He didn't answer that. She was fishing for a club. But then she said, "Just as long as I can have lunch first."

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry," he said, actually sounding remorseful. "I should have thought about lunch. I suppose you could have James go in and get it."

"Why couldn't I go get it?" Tris asked.

"I was just thinking of you. You're still in costume, correct?"

"Yeah, but I don't see the problem. I like the costume and it fits very nicely." He was obviously not one of her friends or close acquaintances or he would know that she loved to have fun and very little embarrassed her.

He chuckled, but she could tell he found it odd. "Okay then, have James take you out to lunch. On me, anywhere you'd like to go. Then he'll take you to the offices."

"That sounds perfect," Tris told him. "And when do I get to see you?"

"Have fun Tris," he said, and then he hung up.

Tris could see James' face in the mirror, he was smirking. "What's so funny?" she asked him.

"Nothing, Miss."

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After much cajoling, she convinced James to join her for lunch at a nice steakhouse. He'd wanted to wait for her at the car. He seemed a little uncomfortable about it as they were walking in and she asked, "Are you embarrassed to be seen with an elf in public?"

He smiled and said, "No miss, but I was thinking about what a picture an elf having lunch with a chauffeur might present." Tris laughed.

"I hadn't thought of that, we'll have to ask our waiter to take a picture of us. Everyone at work will love it." James just shook his head and followed her inside.

They enjoyed our lunch, James told her about growing up in the U.K. and that he'd met his employer just after coming to the States for his mother's funeral. He'd had to stay in New York to care for his ailing father and when James told him his predicament, the man had hired him on the spot. He'd also helped James obtain his work visa and eventually his citizenship.

"He sounds like a wonderful man this Mr…?"

James actually stuck his tongue out at her. It cracked Tris up because she'd be willing to bet he hadn't done that since he was five. He said, "When will you figure out that you can't trick an old English chauffeur like me?"

"I'm persistent like that," Tris told him.

James drove them to the offices of Dauntless Inc. and she set about her task delivering the gift baskets to each department. James followed along behind her and she showed everyone the picture of them having lunch and took a few orders that she promised to take straight back to Santa Claus. It had a great time and was starting to think she'd like to add something like this to her yearly Christmas Traditions. She had some of her own already that she'd been putting into practice since she was a kid. No one that knew her seemed the least bit surprised that she was dressed like an elf, and the rest of the staff found it amusing. Tris ran across Al when she was in the building and looking her over he said, "Who was it that beat me out last night?"

"I have no idea," Tris told him.

"Really?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Really, I haven't met him; I've only spoken with him on the telephone."

"Hmm, the guy is obviously loaded," he said. "It would have to be someone from upstairs."

Tris shrugged, "I don't know. He's generous, that's for sure. I better get back to my task." She could feel Al watching her until she was out of his sight. Sighing, she wondered if he would ever give up.

Tris finished handing out the gifts at work and James drove her home. When he opened the car door for her he had another package, similar to the one he'd given her this morning in his hand.

"What's this? A present for me?" Tris asked, like a child on Christmas morning. She'd always rather give gifts out, but everyone likes one of their own sometimes. James smiled.

"I think whatever it is; you deserve it for your hard work today." Tris surprised him, not for the first time that day, by giving him a hug. She really liked the old guy and because of him her day had been more enjoyable.

"You worked just as hard. Thank you, James."

"You're very welcome, Miss Tris."

Tris carried the box up to her apartment and she was about to open it when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello Tris, how did things go at the office?" It was him, the mystery caller. Her belly fluttered just at the sound of his voice.

"Spectacular," Tris told him. "Everyone was so pleased with their gifts."

"Good, James said you should be commended for the job you did today. So, I commend you. Thank you for taking care of all of that for me."

"You're welcome, I enjoyed myself. I hope James will also be commended. He's great."

"He will be. I'd like to take you out to dinner as a reward for a job well done if you don't have an objection to joining me?"

"I'd love to," Tris said. Not only did she believe she deserved a treat after her long day, she was so excited about meeting him. She was really hoping that he was as beautiful as his voice.

"Great. We have reservations at a very exclusive restaurant in Chicago. Put on the outfit I sent for you and I'll send James around to pick you up at eight."

"Okay, I'll see you then," Tris told him, before hanging up. Finally, she pulled open the box. Inside was a black silk dress. It had a designer label that she recognized. It was a very expensive dress. It had probably cost him over a thousand dollars. It was beautiful and when she slipped it out of the box, she realized there was a lovely matching scarf, stockings and shoes.

She took it into her bedroom and held it up to her in front of the mirror. It was stunning, and the soft material of the dress would cling to all of her curves, no doubt. Did he actually go shopping for it himself, or did he hire someone to do that? She looked at the size of both the dress and the shoes… both perfect. Who was this man? How could he possibly know her shoe size of all things? She looked back at the dress and realized suddenly that the only thing that had bothered her about him all day was that he didn't trust she had enough sense and taste to dress myself for a night out. She loved it, but it wasn't her. She was never one to be anything or anyone other than herself. Tris smiled as she got an idea...a terrible, awful idea.

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 _ **Please review, they truly make my day!**_


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N-Special thanks to Lynn for beta reading this. And also thanks to all who read, review, follow and fav this story. You guys are amazing!)

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Tris really did like the dress a lot, but the fact he'd told her to wear it was nagging at her. Since she was in kindergarten, she had her own sense of style. She used to drive her mother crazy with some of her choices. She chose her clothes because she liked them and she's comfortable in them. She wears what's appropriate for the occasion, but rarely what everyone else would be wearing. Designer labels didn't impress her either. She'd found dresses at second-hand stores that were just as nice.

When he simply said, "Put on the outfit I sent you," that was when the idea came to her. Her mystery man had sent her two outfits today. He told her to wear the one he sent, but he hadn't specifically said which one. It made sense to her that he couldn't really be offended if she happened to wear the wrong one then, right? She took a bubble bath while she considered it. By the time she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel, she'd come to a firm decision. She was wearing the elf outfit. If he was offended… oh well, what had she really lost?

As she fixed her hair and did her make-up she thought about what he'd said about going to an "exclusive" restaurant. She decided that she'd take the dress with her and she would change after she played a little trick on him. There was no harm in a little fun. She didn't know if they had a dress code though and she may get asked to leave. This way she would have the dress to change into.

Her hair and make-up were ready for a night out. She put on the elf dress with the shoes that went with the dress and then slipped the elf slippers over them. She wore a pair of diamond stud earrings that her parents had given her when she graduated high school, they were her favorite pair, and she'd always thought they'd brought her good luck.

She chose a delicate silver chain that would complement the dress and after she put it on, she tucked it inside her elf suit. James arrived right on time, and when she opened the door and saw his face, she wished she'd had her camera at the ready.

"Um, Miss Tris… did you open the other box?" The poor guy looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel in his head.

"I did, I like this one better," Tris said, as she slipped on her black trench coat.

"Oh, well…" Tris couldn't keep a straight face. James looked relieved when he realized she was laughing. "Oh, it's just a joke, thank goodness," he said.

"It's a joke on your boss, James. I am wearing this to dinner."

"Oh, I don't think… I'm not sure you should… well he's kind of…"

"Serious?" Tris finished for him.

"Yes miss, he's very serious. I don't think he'll be pleased."

"Too bad," Tris told him with a wink. "It sounds like he needs to learn to loosen up a bit." James didn't say any more about it, but she could tell it made him anxious that she was going through with this. She couldn't imagine a man so generous that didn't at least appreciate a little humor. Besides, he wasn't really her boss. What was he going to do?

When James drove the limousine up in front of the restaurant, Tris almost lost her nerve. When he'd said exclusive, She had no idea he was talking about Michel's. It was THE most exclusive restaurant in Chicago and if he didn't own his own table here, then he'd made these reservations either weeks or months ago. When James helped her out of the car he raised an eyebrow.

"You're sure about this miss?" he asked.

Tris looked back at the fancy restaurant and all of the fancy people going inside and she suddenly realized that she was sure. If this man couldn't take a joke, what had she lost? A fancy dinner? She'd obviously not met him after nine months of working at Dauntless Inc.; she'd likely not see him too frequently after this. He probably works somewhere up near the top like everyone seems to think, judging from the fact that he was obviously wealthy so she doubted they'd have to mix and mingle much. She was going for it; she thought it would be fun.

"I'm sure," Tris told James with a deep breath and a confident smile.

"Good luck then," he said, as if she were headed to the gallows.

"Oh, who should I ask for?"

"Just ask for Aaron," James told her.

"Thanks, James. I enjoyed my day with you."

"And mine with you," he said. He tipped his hat at her and she went inside. "Good luck," he said again.

Tris walked into this beautiful restaurant, very serene and intimate with wide open, and she had to say, spectacular views of Chicago in her elf costume. Granted at this point she still had on her coat, but she wasn't the least bit worried about taking it off. It was gorgeous, but everyone in the place including the staff looked like they could use a little Christmas in their lives. The only way she could describe them all was just way too serious.

"Hello ma'am, can I help you?" the beautiful, soft spoken woman at the counter asked her.

Tris matched her whispered tone and said, "Yes, I was supposed to ask for Aaron."

"Of course," she said. "May I check your coat?" It was the moment of reckoning. As she slipped off her coat and handed it to her Tris watched the change in her facial expression. It wasn't the least bit subtle and she wouldn't say she was the least bit amused.

"Thank you," Tris told her as she handed her coat over. She'd often heard the word "gaping" used, but she didn't believe she'd ever actually seen anyone "gape" before. She was definitely gaping at her outfit. Had it not been a joke, she may have been offended. Actually, since she didn't know it was a joke, she was a little bit offended.

She swallowed hard and said, "Follow me, please." Tris did as she asked slipping the hat that went with the costume out of her purse and onto her head as they walked across the crowded restaurant. All eyes were on her and she made a point of making eye-contact with a few of the appalled looking patrons and smiling. It was a hilarious experience. The serious little dinners they were having in their designer clothes were suddenly interrupted, by an elf. Some of them looked as if they thought it was the end of the world. People needed to learn how to have more fun. As she led her to a table in a far corner of the room right next to one of the big windows, Tris finally saw him. Her confidence waned a bit when she realized her mystery man was the gorgeous man she'd seen get off the elevator that one day, and she hadn't been able to get him out of her mind since. At least she knew now that his voice matched his looks. He was looking at her with a controlled expression. She had no idea what he was thinking. The hostess turned towards her and her gape turned into pure shock when she realized she'd put on the hat. She turned back to her "date" that had stood up to greet her like a perfect gentleman.

"Mr. Eaton, is there anything else you need?" she asked. When Tris thought about it later, she decided that she'd been wondering if she was a crazy person and perhaps she should have her shown out. But at that moment all she heard was "Mr. Eaton." It was echoing inside her head. This was Four Eaton, CEO of Dauntless Inc. He was a billionaire business mogul… and he was her employer, her real employer.

"Everything is fine, thank you Shelby." That was the voice, it was definitely him. Oh geez, Tris wondered, what has she done?

When the hostess was gone, Four looked her over and Tris could at last see an expression in his eyes. It was confusion. He was wondering what she was doing and at that moment she was sure that James had been right, he wasn't pleased.

"Hello Tris," he said, obviously ever the gentleman.

"Hello… Mr. Eaton," Tris said as he pulled out her chair.

"You can call me Four," he said. He pushed her chair in and went back around to take his own. He kept staring at her as if he didn't know what to say. Tris may have been staring as well. First, she was shocked at whom he was and second …he was drop dead gorgeous. She swore Adonis didn't even come close to describing this man. She hated to use the word "perfect" but there was no other description for him.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" he asked.

"Sure, I'd love some wine," Tris told him. He picked up the bottle out of the brass canister it was chilling in and poured us each a glass of white wine. Her mouth was completely dry and she picked it up and took a sip… it was almost as dry as her. Four still hadn't cracked a smile and the butterflies in her stomach had grown into pterodactyls. She finally just blurted out what was on her mind.

"I was playing a joke," he still looked confused, but he offered her a weak smile and a soft chuckle. "I was hoping you would think it was funny."

He looked around at the others in the restaurant before speaking.

"It's just a little… uncomfortable, all the attention. You definitely stand out in here."

Tris glanced around too. He was right; they were getting a lot of strange looks. It wouldn't have bothered her, but it obviously did bother him. For some reason, she wished that he would lighten up, just a little bit. She finally gave in however, mostly because he was her boss. Besides, she was hoping if he was more comfortable he would relax and they could get to know each other.

"I brought the other dress," Tris told him. "I can change if you'd like."

"I'd like that, yes," was all he said.

She was unfazed by the stares of the other patrons as she walked across the restaurant once more. The only thing she was feeling was disappointed that this beautiful, brilliant man didn't seem to have any humor at all. Tris thought that humor was one of the most important things in life. Some days, hers was all that had gotten her through. She considered walking out and just going home for a fraction of a second, after all, this wasn't a real date. But he was Four Eaton, and he was beautiful and no matter what that said about her, it was enough to make her want to stay and give him another shot.

Tris quickly changed in the restroom and ran her fingers through her hair. She reapplied her lipstick while she was there and then she stuffed the elf costume into her bag and headed back out to their table. She watched the expressions change again as she walked back by, but none more so than her "date's."

Four stood up when she was about three feet from the table. This time his expression was easy to read. He was pleased with what he saw… very pleased. He pulled her chair out for her again and once he'd taken his seat again he said, "You look stunning."

Tris smiled, "Thank you, and thank you for the outfit. It's beautiful, just not quite what I might pick for myself."

"It looks like it was made for you," he said. "Why wouldn't you have picked it?"

"I'm just not one to go along with the "norms" of society as I'm sure you can tell by the fact that I wore an elf costume to dinner." She was smiling, he was still not. He was looking at her like he was trying to figure her out. It shouldn't have been that hard. She was just a girl who enjoyed having fun. Four Eaton wasn't looking like fun was something he did often to her.

Tris was saved from Four's gaze by the waiter who came to take their order, until she realized that she hadn't even looked at the menu. Four asked her if she minded if he ordered for her or if it would be like the dress and she'd pull a hamburger out of her handbag. He was making an attempt at humor and she felt encouraged suddenly, and strangely… proud of him. He at least possessed a sarcastic wit.

"You go ahead," Tris told him. "I'll eat pretty much anything."

She listened as he told the waiter they would both like to have the Charcoal grilled Miyazaki wagyu. She had no idea what that was so she quickly glanced at her menu. It offered no explanations. It just said that it came with, "Salsify Dauphinois, Bluefoot Mushrooms, Arrow leaf Spinach and 'Sauce Bordelaise,'" and that it was a hundred and twenty five dollars a plate. So as not to embarrass him, she waited for the waiter to leave before she asked her next question.

"At the risk of sounding like an ignorant diner… what did you just order for me?" The corners of his mouth twitched. Her outfit didn't amuse him but her ignorance of fancy dishes apparently did.

"It's Japanese black beef with a side of potatoes and the salsify is a European root vegetable. It's very tasty the way they prepare it here. I'm sure the rest you recognized."

She appreciated that he didn't find her ignorant enough to explain spinach and mushrooms to her.

"Thank you," Tris said. "That does sound good."

"You're welcome," Four said.

"Why did you tell me to ask for Aaron?" Tris asked.

"It's my middle name," Four said.

They made small talk about her day and her experiences with the kids and the elderly while they waited for their meals. The only time he seemed bothered by her chatter was when she veered off into how much she loved Christmas, or things she liked to do herself. Then he would shut down and she'd have to think of a way to start the whole conversation all over again. James had been right, this man did not like Christmas.

When dinner arrived, Tris couldn't deny that it looked delicious on the plate and her assessment was confirmed with the first bite. The portions were small, but everything was so rich and satisfying that you didn't need a lot of it to be completely satiated. They were about halfway through their meal when they hit a lull in our conversation. She hadn't meant to pry, but suddenly she heard herself asking, "I was wondering what it was about Christmas that you didn't like?"

He raised an eyebrow. He does that a lot. He paused for a long minute and then said, "How do you know that I don't like Christmas?"

"I asked James why you didn't hand out the gifts yourself. They're so generous. That's all he told me, was that you didn't really care for the season."

He looked like he was thinking of how to phrase it.

"I'm just cynical, I guess. It's so commercialized these days."

Tris had to admit that was true about it being commercialized but she said, "I don't worry about what society thinks of it, kind of like I don't worry about what they think of me. When I was a little girl I saw "A Christmas Carol." My favorite line, even then was when Ebenezer Scrooge said, "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." I try to live by that as much as I can."

Tris wished that she could read his looks. If she had to chance a guess she'd say that he was trying to decide if he believed her or not. It was true, she had no one to impress but herself. She loved Christmas, but she didn't stop there. She loved being alive and every morning, rain or shine, she started the day by reminding herself of that fact.

"Does your family celebrate Christmas?" Tris asked him.

Instead of really answering her question, he said, "I go away every year at Christmas time. I leave on Christmas Eve and come back a few days later. I'd go earlier but I feel it prudent that I attend the company holiday party. I don't care for the cold either."

"Prudent, huh?" Tris asked with a half-smile. "Some people look forward to the holiday party all year. You don't find it fun at all?"

"Not really," he said, simply. "What about you? How will you be spending your holidays?"

Tris thought about opening up to him, but she didn't think he'd understand since he was so unwilling to open up to her. She simply said, "With my family, of course."

After dinner they shared a piece of the best cheesecake in the whole wide world. By the end of the night she was torn by her feelings for him. He was gracious and charming and she'd found out earlier today… very generous. But, he was also so serious about everything it seemed, even Christmas. He didn't even smile at the cheesecake. The other thing was that she could definitely stare at him all day and all night. He was the most desirable man she'd ever laid eyes on even when he was being serious. When he relaxed just a tiny bit and smiled… she felt her insides melting.

Four looked across the table at this woman that he didn't know enough to say hello to in an elevator a couple of weeks ago but now suddenly found himself completely enchanted with. She was like no other woman he'd ever met. She kept bringing up Christmas which both frustrated the hell out of him and intrigued him. It frustrated him because he'd given it up so long ago and never looked back. She was trying to get him to question that. Of course she didn't know why he'd given it up, but he had a feeling this woman would say that he had handled it wrong. If anyone else told he that he'd tell them to go to hell, but somehow as he looked into Tris' pretty eyes Four knew he would never tell her that. He got the impression she wasn't just being nosy when she asked why he didn't like Christmas… she truly loved it that much and couldn't fathom why anyone else would not.

The thing Four liked most about her, beyond her beauty… was the fact that she was blindsided by her boss; the CEO of the company she worked for was her date and she didn't seem the slightest bit intimidated. She hadn't tried to kiss up to him or cowl down to him, she'd treated him like any other human being and that, he appreciated tremendously.

"So what about eggnog?" she asked. She wouldn't let up on the Christmas kick. She was trying to insist that there was something he liked about Christmas, no matter how much he insisted there wasn't.

"I don't care for it," Four said.

"Peppermint candy canes?"

"I've never had one."

"The smell of pine?"

"My housekeeper uses pine-sol." She wrinkled her nose and made a face at him when he said that. It made him laugh, in spite of himself.

"Think of it this way Tris, you've read Dr. Seuss, right?"

She seemed amused that he would be considering quoting Dr. Seuss but she said, "Of course, everyone has."

"Christmas is like green eggs and ham to me. I don't like it here nor there, I don't like it anywhere."

She laughed and said, "I'd be willing to bet that's the oddest analogy a brilliant CEO has ever come up with for anything."

"You'd be surprised," Four told her. "Besides, I've been more lucky than brilliant I'm afraid."

"I doubt that," she said. "Dauntless Inc. is a conglomerate because you made it that way. It takes a lot more than luck to do that. Maybe you got lucky in the family department and one of them was willing to finance the start-up, but I suspect you took it from there."

"I got a small inheritance when I was twenty-one from my Grandfather. That's what I used as my start up capitol."

"And eight years later your company is a household name. What about when you were a boy, didn't you believe in Santa Claus and all that?"

"Of course I did," Four replied.

"So, what happened?"

"I realized he was a fraud, like everyone else did." The sentence came out more bitterly than he'd intended, and he could see from Tris' expression that she wanted to know more. Thankfully, she refrained, and for a moment Four thought he could see a trace of pity… or was it sadness in her eyes.

"Are you ready to go or would you like more coffee?" She made a face at him again. He knew she wanted him to open up more, but it was a subject he didn't care to talk about with anyone.

"I'm ready," she said.

They picked up their coats on their way out and he walked her to the limousine.

"I've got it, James," Four told him. He got in behind the wheel and closed his door. Four looked at Tris in the moonlight and he was overcome with an urge to kiss her. He didn't know what it was about this woman, but she'd definitely gotten under his skin. From the day he'd seen her getting on the elevator he had been thinking about her. He asked Zeke and he told me who she was and then he'd seen her name on the auction list. They'd been doing the auction for five years and he'd never bid before. It didn't seem like the sort of thing a CEO should do. That night he went there on impulse, and even more impulsively he began to bid. He felt like he had to have her, if only for a day.

Once he had her, he hadn't known what to do with her. It wasn't that he didn't have a fantasy list, but that would never do on a first date and with an employee to boot. Four had made the false assumption that she'd be intimidated by him, so he set up the whole costume and delivering presents first to get a feel of what kind of person she was. James had checked in with him periodically and had nothing but glowing reviews. They had bonded right away and here he was a little afraid that now after their dinner conversation, that she would think of him as a Scrooge and not want to see him again. It was a new experience for him that someone liked his chauffeur better than they liked him.

"I had fun, Four. It was a great day all the way around. Thank you for everything," she said.

"I had a good time too, thank you, Tris."

He didn't kiss her; it was too soon no matter how badly he wanted to. He watched her get into the car and he closed the door behind her. Suddenly her window came down and she said, "Four?"

"Yes?"

"I was thinking. It's such a shame that you haven't done anything festive in years. There's a lot more to the Christmas season than presents and parties you know. You just need to explore it a little further. I was wondering if you might do me a favor."

Four was very interested to find out what kind of favor she might want from him. He didn't want to commit to anything without hearing what it was however.

"What kind of favor do you need?"

"I'd really like to help you enjoy the season this year, if you'll just give me a chance. Maybe I could have you for a day, the way you did me today?"

He was tempted to laugh. Instead of angering him like it would if someone else harassed him about Christmas, she amused him. He decided that one day couldn't hurt anything. He didn't have to enjoy it after all. He doubted that he'd enjoy any of it except for spending the day with this beautiful creature that he didn't understand at all, but couldn't get enough of. That was the bottom line here. He wanted to see her again.

"How about next Saturday?" Four asked her. She looked surprised that he accepted.

"You're on. You are going to so love Christmas when I'm done with you," she said with a smile.

Four chuckled and said, "Don't get your hopes up Tris. Good night."

"Good night Four," she said, "Thank you."

He watched the limousine until it was out of sight. He missed her already.

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Tris went into work on Monday morning still feeling the glow of the weekend. She hadn't been able to think about much other than Four all weekend. She had already started planning their activities for the following Saturday. She just knew if she could get him to experience a few traditional Christmas time events and have fun while he was doing it, he would change his outlook on Christmas. The whole of Chicago was lit during the month of December while they waited for the day to come. It was a travesty for him to miss out on that. She tried to convince herself that taking him out on Saturday was a charitable thing to do, but the truth was, she really couldn't wait to see him again either.

She had a meeting with Zeke when she got in and when he asked her how her weekend went Tris said, "It was good, quiet." That wasn't a lie. After Friday night she hadn't gone out again, and she had had a good one. She baked cookies and made Christmas ornaments and yes watched "It's a Wonderful Life" three times and cried every time. She cried sometimes because the ending of the movie made her so incredibly happy and sometimes because the memories of watching it with her mom when she was a little girl. Those were happy tears too, happy memories.

Mostly, she didn't want to complicate whatever this thing was between her and Four was. She had worked with some amazing, smart, professional people. One might be surprised at how fast a rumor can spread amongst them. She wasn't delusional enough to believe that news she'd gone on a date with the CEO would be something even the people she was closest to would be willing to keep to themselves, so she kept it to herself.

Monday was as usual, a busy day. It was over before she knew it and as she was wrapping up and getting ready to go home she reached to turn off her computer. On impulse, Tris typed Four's name into the company directory. There were job titles and short bios and a small photo of each of them in the company directory. Once she'd typed in Four's name, she was looking at his face. He was more perfect in person, but since she wasn't going to see him until Saturday the little photo would do. She wondered what kind of Monday he had and before she even realized what she was doing she started composing an email.

Hi Four! I just wanted to say I am looking forward to Saturday. I hope your Monday went well and don't forget to ring at least one bell today. Tris hit send. While she was waiting to make sure it had gone through, she packed up some pamphlets she was going to take home. She was working on a new marketing campaign for the company and was using the old pamphlets to help design a new one. She got them packed into her bag and reached up to switch the computer off again. She saw that Four had responded to her email already and she was surprised. She wasn't surprised at what he had written.

Why would I ring a bell?

Because every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. She was trying to sneak Christmas in on him a little at a time. He didn't respond to that, but she'd gotten it into his head. She switched off the computer and left for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

(A/N-Special thanks to Lynn for beta reading this. And also thanks to all who read, review, follow and fav this story. You guys are amazing!)

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Four had been sitting at his desk going over some reports Laurel brought in when his computer made the little noise it makes when he has a new email. Not intending to read it unless it looked like it was something of earth-shattering importance; he looked up at the screen. He was surprised to see the email was from Tris. He sat there for a few seconds wondering if he wanted to open it or not. Finally curiosity got the better of him and he did. She was wishing him a good day and telling him to ring bells. He had no idea why she wanted him to ring bells, so he asked her why. Several more seconds later he got another email that said,

"Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." Four completely forgot about the work in front of him and he stared at the screen. he still didn't get it. He decided to forget about it and re-focus on his work. That lasted less than five minutes before he was looking at the computer again. Finally, he cut and pasted the sentence into hie browser and came back with about a bazillion hits. It was a quote from a Christmas movie. The movie was called "It's a Wonderful Life" and it had been made in 1946. He stared at it for a minute and a vague memory came back to him. His mother...telling him a Christmas story. Making him believe in a Santa Claus, and miracles and such. His father...teaching him something different.

He shook his head to clear it from the memories. He'd decided long ago that if it wasn't helping, it was hindering. It was keeping him from moving on. He let it go and now this woman who he was completely infatuated with wants to put it back in front of him and make him re-live it. He was torn between being grateful to her for treating him like a human and easing his loneliness, and being angry that she wouldn't let this Christmas thing go. He had to wonder what she had in store for him on Saturday as her hired hand.

Four didn't finish up his work that night until after seven. He called James and told him he'd be down soon. He packed up his things and rode the quiet, lonely elevator down to the lobby from the tenth floor. When the doors opened he found himself thinking of Tris again and the first time he'd seen her in the elevator. He didn't know her name and they had never spoken a word, but even then he'd felt a connection. As he crossed the lobby he saw James waiting by the car. He stepped over and opened the door for him.

"Hello sir, how was your Monday?"

"Busy as well sir," he said. Four started to get in the car and suddenly he completely lost his mind. That's how he liked to think of it anyways. He saw one of those Salvation Army buckets outside the lobby window and currently unmanned. The bell they rang all day was sitting on top of it and without giving himself time to think about it he picked it up and rang it.

He sat it back down and stepping in front of a confused James, he slid past him and waited for him to close the door before he smiled.

The rest of the week passed quickly and every evening about the same time he found an email waiting in his inbox from Tris. They were short and simple, but they made him feel like someone was thinking about Four Eaton the man and not just the business guy or the boss or the paycheck. They were nice and it made him feel good to read them. She made him smile from six floors down.

Four received a text message from Tris on Saturday morning that told him to meet her in Grant Park near the coffee cart in front of the ice-skating pond and to dress casually. He put on a pair of jeans that were like brand new because he rarely got out of his suit long enough to wear them. He wore a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath a thick, gray sweater. He grabbed his jacket and his keys on the way out. Every step of the way he was wondering what she had in store for him and he traveled to their rendezvous spot with a mixture of dread and anticipation.

He walked about half a mile from where he'd parked his car before he saw her. She was standing near the coffee cart wearing blue jeans and a pink sweater. Even from where he stood, he could see how pretty she was. She had braided her long hair into two braids that hung down past her shoulders and she had on a pink knit beret that matched her sweater. She was sipping a cup of something hot; the steam was evident in the cool morning air. She was looking around, waiting for him and for the first time in probably a decade, he felt the flutter of nerves in his belly. He hated being out of his comfort zone and this was the first time in years that he'd allowed himself to leave it full-bore. He almost bailed, but Tris suddenly spotted him and waved. She was smiling, as usual, and her face was flushed with color from the cool morning air. God, she was beautiful. They walked towards each other until they met just along the fence around the little man-made ice-skating pond that was surrounded by little decorated Christmas trees and had a little house off to the side for when Santa visited.

"Hey there," she said, coming closer.

"Hey."

"Are you ready to do my bidding for a day?"

"What does your "bidding" entail?" Four asked her.

"We are going to spend the day doing all things Christmassy," she said. Four felt the trepidation in his stomach begin to spread across the excitement, swallowing it whole and leaving him only with the dread.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," he said.

"Why?" she asked. "You obviously already re-arranged your schedule so you could be here. Don't back out now, please."

He realized something new right then, when he looked into her eyes he could hardly remember the word, "No." He usually didn't do anyone else's bidding unless it was beneficial to him. This was not going to be beneficial but he still couldn't turn her down.

"Okay," Four said, "What's first?"

"Ice-skating," she said with what he'd only have to describe as an evil grin.

"Oh no… I don't think so." He said it steadily without a trace of the anxiety he was feeling coming through.

"Did I say no when you sent me an elf costume to wear? Did I balk at wearing it to the office even?"

He'd never been ice-skating in his life. He looked over towards the pond at the people sailing across the ice and a few of them making their way across like a newborn deer and he knew which one he was going to look like. This is why he hadn't felt anxiety in years. He didn't set himself to do things that would make him look like a fool… ever.

"I don't know how," Four said at last. He hadn't wanted to admit that, but maybe it would make her change her mind.

"I'll teach you," she said. Then as if that had settled it she asked him, "What size skates do you need?"

"Tris, really…"

"Come on Four, live a little. I'm not asking you to risk your life. I think you'll like it, but if you don't at least you tried it and you know for sure, right?"

"Eleven and a half," Four said. He supposed she was right. He might come off the ice with a bruised ego, but he'd live. He did always think it looked like fun. He reached for his wallet but Tris was having none of it.

"Huh uh, I'm the boss today, I'm buying."

That confused him more than the ice-skating. He always bought no matter where he went or who he was with.

"I really don't mind…"

"Listen, I don't care if you are one of the richest men in the world. This entire day is my treat, okay? Stop resisting everything, you'll never have any fun if you don't relax."

This was all so strange for him. For years now, when he took a woman out he made the plans and he paid for it all. He's never even had a woman offer to decide what they should do or where they should go, much less take out her wallet. Four knew he was defeated.

"I'll try." He intended to try, but he definitely couldn't make her any promises.

She grinned and said, "That's the spirit!" Everything she did was with such passion. He was realizing that it was hard not to get caught up in it, even for him. Her energy was all positive and it just drew him in. He watched her go and get their skates and pay for their passes. She smiled at every person she passed and they all smiled back. It would be impossible not to. Her smile was infectious. He was quickly discovering that her attitude was too.

She came back with the skates and they sat down on the bench next to the ice-rink. While he changed out of his shoes and into the skates he watched the people on the ice falling and laughing. He saw the couples holding hands and the parents chasing their children. Four knew Tris was right, he did things that made him comfortable and that mostly made hi happy, but he really didn't know how to do things that were purely for fun.

"Ready?" she asked with a smile.

"As I'll ever be, I suppose," Four told her. She giggled, like a schoolgirl and stood up. Then she reached out for him and his adventures on the ice began.

Tris, it turned out was a fabulous ice-skater. She turned around backwards, facing him and took both of his hands. As soon as she pulled him onto the ice he felt like the world was falling out from under him. He was concentrating hard, trying to pretend like he did this all the time when all he could think about was that if he fell; he was going to take her down with him. He pictured himself, crushing this delicate girl and being unable to get enough traction to get back up. The thought of it mortified him. He watched a couple skate by holding hands and looking happy. He wanted to trip them. He kept looking down at his feet, willing them to get some traction and begging them to keep him upright.

"Look at my face," she said. He glanced up and then back down. She laughed. It was hard for him to get used to being laughed at. People may want to laugh at him sometimes, but they don't. Everyone wants to be best friends with a billionaire so they agree with everything he does and says. As much as Tris' attitude towards him surprised him, he appreciated it, a lot.

"Don't watch your feet. It's like striking the keys on a keyboard. The more you watch them, the more they're going to mess up. Look at my face and look around at the beautifully decorated trees. Let your feet do the work. It's just like walking, one foot in front of the other. If you ignore them, they'll figure it out on their own."

Four glanced back up at her again and felt himself stumble. She moved her body slightly and said,

"See, it's okay, I've got you."

"Right," he said. "I outweigh you by at least a hundred pounds. What happens if I fall? You're going to go down with me. What if I crush you?"

She smiled and said, "If we fall, we get back up and hopefully we laugh about it. I know I will, and you should try it as well as opposed to that furrowed brow look you've got going on there. Besides, you're not going to crush me. You worry too much."

It took at least ten minutes, but they made it one whole round around the pond. He had to admit that he did feel a little tingle of accomplishment. It was nothing to brag about, but it was a start. He felt good right up until the point that Tris said, "Okay, I think you're ready."

"Ready for what?" Four asked, sheer terror gripping at his heart. Was she going to let go of him?

"I'm going to let go of one of your hands and turn around and skate next to you, okay?"

"Sure, I've made one round, I'm an expert now."

"Sarcasm," she said. "I love it." He loved the way her face was flushed from the cold and her blue eyes sparkled out from underneath the pink knit hat she wore.

She let go of his left hand and he watched her feet glide backwards until she was facing forward and right next to him. She made it look so easy. He couldn't really see himself, but he was sure he made it look ridiculous. He wondered if she was reading his mind somehow because right then she said, "Stop worrying about how you look and relax. Who cares what any of these people think? Chin up, chest out, head held high, and most importantly of all, smile. Have fun!" Easy for her to say, he thought, but he tried. Four forced himself to stop looking down at his feet. He stopped looking at the others as they gracefully passed by too. he looked straight ahead and gripped Tris' hand like a lifeline. Before he knew it, they'd gone another lap around. On the next lap, Tris began singing along with the Christmas song playing in the background. She knew every word and she had a beautiful voice. He was enjoying the serenade so much that he hardly even registered the next lap.

By the time they were on their fourth, or maybe their fifth she said, "Are you ready to solo?" His stomach did somersaults. It was something he hadn't felt since I was a kid. He wasn't ready, he was scared to death. Sometimes in business when he took a big gamble it was scary, but it was a good scary. This was bone-breaking scary. He couldn't admit that out loud though. He had his reputation. Instead, he did what he thought would please her.

"Sure, let's give it a shot," Four told her.

"That's the attitude I've been looking for. I knew it was in there somewhere," she said with a wink. Tris smiled and squeezed his hand and then let it go. Although they were both wearing gloves, the first thing he realized was how much colder he felt as soon as he was missing her touch. The next thing he recognized was that he hadn't realized how much she was actually supporting him. He started slipping and sliding and his hands automatically reached out for something to hold onto. He didn't realize it at that moment, but it was like over-correcting in a car when you went into a skid. He grabbed hold of Tris without considering the consequences. He heard her squeal as they both went down… hard. He landed on his backside and Tris was lying across the top of him. Four was glad at least that he didn't crush her. As much as this position would have been something he'd love in another setting, he was completely humiliated as people slid by so effortlessly while he sat on his ass on the cold ice. They seemed to all be smiling too.

Tris was squirming, trying to untangle them and it only seemed to tangle them up further. His left leg was twisted backwards at an odd angle and he was afraid he wasn't going to be able to stand back up. Tris finally got her legs free and he realized he was still gripping her arm. He let that go and she was sitting on her backside facing him, and she was laughing. She was laughing so hard that she had tears in her eyes.

At last she was able to stop and with an escaped tear rolling down her cheek, she said, "See there, that wasn't so bad now, was it?" Maybe not, but now he was on his ass on the ice and he had no idea how to stand up.

"I suppose the falling wasn't so bad, but now how do I get back up?" Four asked her.

"Watch," she said. She got up on her knees and put one skate underneath her. Using her hands she pushed herself up in what seemed to be one effortless motion. She did make it look easy, although he wasn't going to be fooled into believing it was going to be that easy for him, he felt a little better. "Now you try it," she said.

He got up on his knees… so far so good. Then he put his hands down on the ice and put one skate underneath him and then… he fell forward, flat on his face.

"Oh my gosh! Four! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Tris was suddenly down on the ice next to him. He don't know what happened then. It must have been breathing in her enthusiasm all morning, but the thought of what he had to look like, splayed out on the ice suddenly struck him as funny. He started laughing and he couldn't stop. "Oh thank goodness, you're okay!" Tris said. He reached up and playfully pulled her down on top of him and once again they were both splayed out on the ice. She was laughing too now and it suddenly occurred to him that they were going to have to get back up and that made him want to laugh even more. It was like Tris had infected him with her magic and he had to admit that it felt really good.

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They spent over an hour on the ice, which is a lot for a first-timer. He was going to be sore in the morning, but she wasn't going to be the one to tell him that. He had actually started to have fun and Tris had a feeling it was just what he needed. She sang along with the Christmas music and he had even begun humming along with him. She had a feeling that was a big step for him. The longer they skated, the more crowded the rink became. Skaters of all ages slid around at different levels of skill and speed. Each time a wobbly looking one or a super-speedy teen got close to Four, she'd grip tightly to his arm. He laughed at one point and told her that she missed her calling; she should have been a caregiver. At first, he was letting his ankles buckle, but the longer they skated, the steadier he became. She could tell by the feel of the muscles in his arms when he finally started to relax and enjoy himself. When they came off the ice at last, his cheeks were flushed red from the cold and he was smiling from ear to ear. He'd been a really good sport about it all once he got going. She was proud of him.

"I'm starving, how about you?" Tris asked him as they took their skates off.

"Definitely," he said. "That ice-skating takes a lot out of a person. I know a great little restaurant not far from here."

"Uh-uh! My day, remember?"

"Oh, sorry. Well then, where will we be having lunch?"

Tris slipped on her boots and stood up. "We're going to the Christmas market. We can get some food from the vendors there." Four made a face. She doubted that he'd ever bought anything from a street vendor.

He finally got the skate he was struggling with off and then he said, "Are you sure? You're never sure what they put in things."

"Oh please, people eat vendor food all the time and live through it. You'll be amazed at how good it is."

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't argue any further. He slipped on his boots and stood up. Grabbing on to him he said, "Ouch, I may not be able to get out of bed tomorrow."

Tris laughed, "Yes, I thought of that too. But now that the initiation is over, you can skate more and your body will get used to it."

"Hmm, I'll have to give that some thought," he said it like he was going to give it no thought at all. That's okay; she wasn't looking to turn him into a professional ice-skater. She was just really hoping to help him learn how to have a little fun. "I have a meeting on Monday afternoon with some really important people coming all the way over from China. Hopefully I'll be there and not writhing in pain and agony in bed."

"I'm sure by Monday you'll be as good as new," Tris told him.

They turned in their skates and walked over to the area of the park where the fair was happening. There were more than 125 boutique-style shops in the park. The aisles were made from festively decorated trees and the shops carried everything that a person might need to complete their Christmas shopping and a lot of it was handmade, which she loved. Personally, she'd so much rather receive something hand-made than something designed and built in a factory. The sights and smells of Christmas were overwhelming. It all made her happy. She looked over at Four and realized it was having the opposite effect on him. His glow from the ice-skating seemed to be fading.

She saw a hot dog vendor and looked at Four.

"Hot dogs?" he said, grumpily.

"Are you too good for a hot dog?"

"Absolutely not," he said. "But, I did see a sign for steak sandwiches. Doesn't that sound better?"

"Oh, I see what you're doing. I said I'd buy and suddenly you want the steak. You're not a cheap date, are you?"

He threw his head back and laughed. That was encouraging. "I admit it, you have me. I have hot dogs every day. I was trying to get my hands on a steak on your dime."

"Well, as long as you're willing to be honest about it," Tris told him.

"I'd even be willing to pay for half," he said. "Please don't make me eat a hot dog." It was her turn to laugh. He sounded like an insolent child.

"Okay, steak sandwich it is. I'm paying for all of it though," Tris said. He opened his mouth and she said, "I won't accept any arguments." He opened his mouth again and she said, "Huh uh I don't want to hear it."

"But…"

He stopped walking and she said, "I'm buying, Four. That's final."

"That's fine," he said, pointing up. She looked up and saw the sign for the steak sandwich vendor. She'd walked right past it.

"I was just going to turn around," Tris told him. He laughed, but to his credit he didn't make fun of her. They ordered two sandwiches and two coffees. When they were ready, they carried them to one of the park benches and sat down to eat.

Four took a bite from his and said, "Oh my God."

"What? What's wrong?"

"This is the best steak sandwich I've ever tasted," he said. "I've had them in more than one country and in more than one gourmet restaurant too."

Tris smiled and said, "Told you so. You'll be an addict before long."

They finished their lunch and she had to agree with his assessment. The sandwich was delicious. He collected their trash and deposited it in a nearby can. Then turning to her he said, "What now, boss?"

"Shopping," Tris told him. He raised an eyebrow but he didn't argue or complain. She led him to a little jewelry stand they'd passed. The lady working the stand told Tris that her pieces were all hand-made by her and her husband. It was all lovely, sturdy jewelry made out of delicate silver and shaped or hand etched with unique designs.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Four asked her.

"Nope, that's the beauty of shopping in a place like this. Whatever is here wouldn't be something you would have been looking for, because it's all handmade and original."

"So, how do you know what you want?"

"I look for things that match my people," Tris told him. "For instance, see this necklace? It looks just like my friend, Christina. She would love it." She looked at the price tag and sat it back down. "Unfortunately, I'm on a budget, maybe next year."

They left that booth and went to the next one. It was all decorations for Christmas. "So here, you're not looking for anything in particular either?" Four asked.

"Well here, I kind of am," she told him. "I collect Santa Claus ornaments for my tree. I buy one or two every year, but I have so many now I have to really look for unique ones."

"Hmm, Santa Claus, huh?"

"You're not a believer?" Tris asked.

He gave me a half smile and said, "Not since I was about eight."

"That's too bad," she told him. "What do you like to put on your tree?"

He shrugged. Then he said, "I haven't had a Christmas tree in my own home ever."

She thought that was so sad. "Why? You really dislike Christmas that much?"

"I really do," he said. She wondered what had happened to him. It had to be something traumatic to make him hate Christmas so badly that he left town because of it every year. She didn't want to ask him. She thought that he'd share it if he felt comfortable doing so.

"What about your family? Do they celebrate Christmas?" Tris asked.

As she watched his face change, she knew that question too had gone one step too far. His eyes seemed to cloud up; the light that had briefly come into them again while they were having lunch was gone.

"No," he said. "They don't."

Tris let it go at that and changed the subject back to her own tree. Picking up an old-fashioned looking Santa ornament she said, "What do you think of this one?"

He barely glanced at it before saying, "It's fine." She'd lost him again. She went ahead and bought the ornament and they moved on. Between that booth and the next one was another alley that stretched out lengthwise and was similar to a midway at the fair.

"Let's play a game," Tris said.

He pulled his brows together in the middle and said, "A game?"

"Yes, you can win me a stuffed animal," she said. "I'll pay for the game of course."

He didn't look thrilled, but he followed her. She sought out a game she remembered from last year where the prizes were all in the form of some sort of Santa Claus. Four would have to shoot a gun filled with water into a clown's mouth and make his balloon burst before the others. He looked at the three boys less than fourteen year's old sitting on the benches and then back at her.

"You want me to compete against three adolescents for a Santa Claus doll?"

"Sure, why not?" Tris said.

"I can buy you one if you want it that badly."

"No, I don't want a bought one," she told him. "It will mean more that you won it for me."

He shook his head and smiled, "What is your obsession with Santa Claus?" he asked her.

"I'm not obsessed," Tris told him.

"Okay, not obsessed but you seem pretty fond of him. What's the deal?"

"Tell you what, you sit down here and win me one of these fine Santa's and I'll tell you why I love him so much."

He raised an eyebrow and then with a sigh, he took one of the seats. He looked so cute sitting there in his designer jeans in between the boys with their faded and scuffed ones. She laid the two dollars down in front of him and the man running the game picked it up. The bell rang and Four took out his gun. His competitors had done this before; they already had theirs in hand. They all started shooting before Four got his ready to go. It took him several precious moments to line his water stream up with the clown's mouth.

She heard him curse and then say, "Yes! There we go," when he hit it. He seemed to be getting into it as she cheered him on. She hoped he wasn't looking to the sides of him and seeing how much more quickly the other balloons were filling up. He was having fun and that was all that mattered. They heard a loud pop and when they looked down where it came from they saw a jubilant red-haired boy with a Santa in front of him already.

The man running the game said, "Winner!" The boy picked up his small Santa and handed it to the man who traded it for a larger one.

"Oh well, you gave it your best shot," Tris told Four. He didn't answer her. He didn't look like he was satisfied with only taking a shot. Instead of getting up to go, he reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. After he lay another two dollars down in front of him, he picked up his gun and aimed it. He was a fast learner. She wasn't surprised. She couldn't help but smile at the determined look on his face. She wishes she had a picture of it to show him.

"Okay now, you've got this one," Tris told him. The other two boys had gotten up and wandered away leaving only Four and the red-haired boy down at the end.

"The heck he does!" the cocky little boy said, holding his gun in one hand and looking like he was ready for a shoot-out.

His attitude seemed to give Four an even more determined look. He set his shoulders and clamped down on the trigger of his water gun. When the bell rang, he came out shooting. His balloon was filling fast, but so was the boy's. "Come on Four! You've can do it!" Tris cheered him. Unfortunately, his balloon had different ideas. The little red-haired boy got a bigger Santa Claus that time and before the man turned back around, Four had laid down another two dollars. She put her hand on his shoulder and said, "It's okay; you don't have to keep trying." He glanced over at the little boy whose freckled face was drawn up into a huge smile.

"The heck I don't," he said, mimicking what the boy had said earlier. She laughed. She could suddenly see that competitive spirit that led him to becoming a billionaire. He wasn't willing to give up when he knew he had a chance. Kind of like the way she felt about him.

He played three more times before his balloon finally popped. When it did, you would have thought he'd won the lottery. He jumped up off his stool and wrapped Tris up in a tight hug. He swung her around and she squealed and giggled. The little boy was looking at them like they were crazy as he clutched onto his giant Santa Claus. The man running the game lay a tiny stuffed Santa Claus down in front of Four. He looked as proud of it as if it had been a lottery check.

He held it up for her to see and smiled broadly. "Congratulations," Tris told him.

"You're making fun of me," he said. "But that kid was tough. I'm thinking of offering him a job. He would make a great HR supervisor."

She laughed, "I'm not making fun of you. I think it's adorable." She held out her hand to take the Santa and he pulled it back. With a pout she said, "I thought you were winning it for me."

"I was, but I believe that you owe me something first," he said.

"What?"

"An explanation about the Santa fetish?"

Giggling, she said, "It's definitely not a fetish. That makes it sound so sordid."

"Okay, it's not an obsession or a fetish, but if you want this big guy, you're going to have to give me a story." Tris laughed again, this time because he was calling the tiny little thing in his hand a "big guy." What was it with men and size?

"Okay, here's the story," she said, as they resumed walking through the market. "When I was eight years old, some kids at school told me that there was no such thing as Santa Claus. I was devastated. I cried all the way home. When I got home, I told my mother what they'd said. I asked her point-blank if she and my daddy had lied to me. I wanted to know once and for all if he existed."

"So what did she say?" he asked.

"She didn't really say anything. When I think back on it now, I'm sure that she didn't know what to say. When you first tell your kids about Santa, it's a fun fantasy. But when they confront you about his existence later on in life, I'm sure it feels like a lie. My mother never lied to me. She suggested that we bake cookies and talk about it when my father got home from work. I also know now that she knew he would know just how to handle it. So we baked chocolate chip cookies; my mother's were the best… warm and gooey."

"Santa Claus?" he said, trying to re-direct her back to the subject at hand. She did have a tendency to get off track, especially with so much stimulus going on around her.

"I'm getting there," Tris told him. "Be patient." They were passing the booth to buy tickets for the carriage rides and she stopped and said, "Ooh! Let's go for a carriage ride."

"What about the story?" he said. She could tell right then that patience wasn't one of his virtues.

"I'll finish the story in the carriage. Come on, it doesn't feel like Christmas without at least one carriage ride through the park." Four was eyeing the horse and the cart suspiciously. He seemed to be checking the wheels on the cart to make sure they looked like they'd hold up. "It's safe, I promise. Have you never been for a carriage ride?"

"I've never seen the point," he said. "I have several cars and…"

Tris laughed, "There is no point. It's just fun. Don't you ever do anything spontaneously just for fun?"

He looked like he was thinking about that and then he said, "Rarely."


	5. Chapter 5

(A/N-Special thanks to Lynn for beta reading this. And also thanks to all who read, review, follow and fav this story. You guys are amazing!)

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Tris was having a hard time imagining what a sheltered life Four must have led. She wondered if he had been one of those children who grew up in private school and with a nanny. She pictured him in a mansion in upstate somewhere with two driven, focused parents that rarely had time for him. Her heart ached for the lonely little boy who grew up not learning to have any fun. She was sure that was where he learned how to be so serious, he watched his parents work hard and succeed, not having time for much else… even Christmas for their child maybe. He didn't know any of that for sure. It was all just a theory. But, there had to be a reason that as an adult, everything Four did seemed to be carefully thought out and planned in advance. There was never spontaneity involved. That may be good for business, but it was not conducive at all to living life. She realized that her imagination was getting away with her, but where Four was concerned it was really all she had. He didn't seem to be opening up much about his life other than how much he disliked Christmas. She wished that he would, she'd really love to know him. She hoped if she kept plugging away, he would crack and it would all spill out.

"You really need to work on trying to be more impulsive," Tris told him. "Life's so much more fun if it's not all planned out. Plans are necessary sometimes, but other times they actually get in the way of trying new things. Come on, let's get a hot chocolate and go for a ride."

"And you'll finish the story?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll finish the story."

Once they bought their hot chocolate and were snuggled under a red blanket in the white carriage, he said again, "So, are you ready to finish the story?"

Tris laughed and said, "Yes, I'm ready. I have to say though that for a guy who hates Christmas, you sure are interested in hearing a Christmas story."

"I don't "hate" Christmas," he said. "I just don't care for it… and I don't like the cold weather. Anyways, I'm not interested in the Christmas part of the story. I'm only interested in finding out about your Santa Claus obsession."

"I'm not "obsessed" with Santa Claus," Tris told him with a grin.

"Whatever you would like to call it," he said, smiling in return.

"So, my mom and I baked the best cookies in the world while we waited for my dad to get home. I think I ate like ten of them. I loved to eat back then, anything sweet especially. I was a pudgy little thing…"

"You're getting off track again," he said.

"That's another thing," Tris told him. "Sometimes it's more fun and more interesting to go off track. Life doesn't have a script you know. Some of the greatest places on earth have been discovered because someone went off track."

He shook his head at her, but he was still smiling. "Okay, I have to say that you "pudgy" is a hard picture for me to draw in my head, but if you say so, I'll believe you. Did your father arrive eventually?"

"Hard picture or not, it's true. I dieted the whole summer before high school to lose twenty pounds, it was excruciating."

He laughed and said, "Good for you. Now, did your father arrive home?"

"Yes, he did. He looked so tired too. The poor man worked sixteen hours a day sometimes back then. He built cabinets and he was really good at it. I think maybe they over used him a little bit at the plant where he worked. I feel bad now when I think about it. He was doing it all for us and I never realized…" Four was giving her that "off track" look again. She rolled her eyes, took a sip of her chocolate and went on, "But anyways, while he had some of my mother's cookies with a glass of milk, she told him about the kids at school telling me there was no Santa Claus."

"She wants to know the truth, she says," my mother told him. "I didn't see her wink, but when I think about it now, I'm sure that she probably did. My daddy stopped chewing mid-cookie. It had to be important to get my daddy to stop eating a cookie. He liked sweets as much as I did. He took a drink of his milk and stood up and told me he was going to show me the truth about Santa."

"I put on my coat and hat and boots. It was a really cold winter that year, the coldest that I ever remembered. It snowed every day for weeks… but I digress again," Tris said with a grin. He grinned back, "Daddy and Mom had that look when I came back into the kitchen; I knew they'd been talking about me. Mama kissed us both and said that supper would be ready when we got back. Daddy and I got into the car and drove into town. We went to a little five and dime store… I grew up in a small town near Chicago; we didn't have malls or department stores. Anyways, he took me into this store where they sold everything from clothes to groceries and handed me twenty dollars."

"What is this for?" she asked him. They weren't poor, but at eight years old she already knew that they didn't have twenty dollars to throw around right before Christmas. Her parents taught her how to be responsible with money from a young age. Daddy knelt down so they were eye to eye and he said, "I want you to think really hard, Tris. I want you to think about everyone you know, or who you just might see every now and then. It's up to you to decide who you know that might need something very dearly, something that they are unable to buy for themselves. Then, I want you to take the money I gave you and buy it for them. Have the store wrap it up too, okay?"

"Okay…but Daddy…"

"Go on," he told her, "The store will be closing soon."

Four was listening to the story intently and as the carriage carried them across the park. Suddenly it began to snow. It was just light flakes, not a storm and to her it added to the romanticism of it all.

"Oh my goodness! It's snowing! The first snow if the year. It's magical, you know. You have to open your mouth and catch it on your tongue and make a wish…" Tris told him. He shook his head again, but he still had a grin on his face.

"One story at a time," he said. "You can tell me about Christmas snow later. Right now, you're telling me about Santa Claus. Are you going to finish?"

"Okay." He was right; when it came to Christmas she had so many stories. It was hard to stay on track. She went on, "So, I took my twenty dollars and while Daddy had a cup of coffee and a piece of pie at the counter, she thought and thought about who she knew that as Daddy said, "Needed something dearly." She thought about her mom saying she needed a new vacuum, but she was old enough to know that twenty dollars wouldn't buy that. She figured her daddy would buy her one soon enough anyways. She remembered that her granny said she needed a new sewing machine, but the store they were in didn't carry any of those and twenty dollars probably wouldn't cover it. Then she thought about this girl in her class. Her name was Lisbeth and she was always wearing old clothes that never looked like they fit very well. Anyways, it was really cold that winter, colder than she ever remembered it being and Lisbeth used to come to school every day in the same pair of canvas sneakers that she'd been wearing since first grade. She had no idea how her feet still fit in them. Tris had gone through three sizes by then. She also didn't know how her feet didn't freeze. It snowed every day and Lisbeth walked to school. Her shoes were always wet and she always had a runny nose. She was a nice girl and the other kids were so mean sometimes. She took her twenty dollars and she went to the shoe department. She found a pair of pink galoshes. They were the same color pink as her coat."

"You bought them for her?" Four asked. He looked like he was really into the story,

"I did. I asked the lady for a pair of them in a box and she asked me what size. I had no idea. She asked me if they were going to be a gift and I told her they were and that they were for a girl in my class at school. She asked if the girl was about my height and weight and I said yes, so she gave them to me in my size and said that should work. I asked the lady to wrap them up really pretty and she did. She put a big, pink bow on top and a little card that we could write on. When I went to find my daddy he asked me what I'd bought. I remember not understanding why then, but he got tears in his eyes when I told him.

Daddy drove us to Lisbeth's house and we ducked behind the car in their driveway. Daddy stayed there while I went and rang the bell. I dropped the package on the doorstep and ran back to where Daddy was. We waited and then I saw Lisbeth open the door and look around. She bent down and picked up the package and took it inside. Daddy had written on the tag. It said, "To Lisbeth, From Santa Claus."

I was excited, but I was also eight. I still didn't really understand what it all meant, what the significance was of what we had done. She smiled really big and ran back inside. It made my heart feel good to see her so happy, but I wanted to know why we'd done all of this.

When Daddy and I got back in the car I asked him what that had to do with Santa Claus. He told me first that he knew Lisbeth's daddy. He asked me if Lisbeth ever talked about him. I told him "No," and that some of the kids made fun of her because she wore old clothes and hand-me-downs that teacher gave her. I wondered why her mother didn't take better care of her. Daddy looked sad and said her father was sick and in a wheelchair. He said that he'd gotten sick right after Lisbeth was born and he wasn't able to work. Her mother worked at the diner in our town. When I got older, I found out that he had Lou Gehrig's disease. Lisbeth finally told me and she told me that she knew since she was little that he was going to die. We were in eighth grade when he died. It was so sad… I'm sorry," she said, knowing she was getting off track again.

"Back to the story: Daddy told me that night that they had three other kids older than Lisbeth and money was probably very tight for them, especially around Christmas time. He said that he thought Lisbeth's mother probably took the best care of her that she should and that I shouldn't ever judge people by what they wore or how much money they did or didn't have. People were people. He told me then that Santa was not so much a person as he was a feeling. He lived in our hearts and minds but not in the flesh. He wasn't the man in the red suit. That man was a symbol of good will and generosity. He said that every time that one person did something nice or helpful for another person it was because we held the magic of Santa Claus in our hearts. He said it was proof that he existed and the kids at school were wrong." Tris had tears in her own eyes when she finished the story. That had been her very favorite Christmas. Daddy and her had left several more things for Lisbeth and her family that year. They made a tradition of picking out a family in need every year after that until she graduated from high school. She looked forward to it more than her own presents."

"Your father sounds like an amazing man," Four said. He looked like he meant it.

Four wiped the tears that had spilled over onto her cheeks, his touch causing a buzz of electricity to go through her.

"Yeah. Definitely an amazing man." Tris said.

"But what about Lisbeth? Did you ever tell her that it was you? Did she wear the boots?"

"She did wear the boots, every day for the rest of that winter she wore them to school. She told me and all of the other kids that Santa Claus had brought them to her. I never told her or anyone that we left gifts for. It would have taken away from what we were trying to do. I didn't want any credit for it. I just wanted to see the smiles it gave them."

Four was smiling when she finished her story. The rest of the day while they played games and rode rides and even sang along with carolers at one point, the smile stayed on his face. It snowed lightly off and on and just about the time it was getting dark, Tris dropped down into the snow on the grass and started making a snow angel.

"What are you doing now?" he said.

"Making a snow angel," Tris told him. "Please don't tell me you've never made one. You'll break my heart."

"Well, as much as I hate to break your heart," he started. Tris grabbed his arm and pulled him down next to her before he could finish. "What are you doing?" he asked, now covered with snow.

"Lie down and make an angel with me," Tris told him.

"This jacket is a little expensive to be lying around in the snow," he told her.

Tris rolled her eyes and said, "Please, I know you can afford a hundred more just like it. But, if it's too cold for you..."

"It's not too cold for me. I just don't want to ruin my jacket. Sure, I can buy another one, but I like this one."

"Sure, I understand. Some people just can't handle the cold."

Tris was beginning to realize how competitive Four was after watching him play the midway games earlier. She was egging him on, knowing that if she tested his competitive side, he would do it. He pulled off his coat and lay down next to her. For the next fifteen minutes they made snow angels. He made three until at last one was perfect. When they stood back up, they were both covered in snow. She reached up to brush it off his shirt and before she had time to even react he brought his lips down on hers and they shared the sweetest kiss. It wasn't the tongue tangling, spit-swapping kind of kiss she was used to men trying. It was closed mouthed and tender, like the kiss of an old soul. It was completely romantic and it made her stomach flutter and her head spin. She may have even felt it in her toes if they weren't already frozen.

When they finally broke apart Tris had a hard time getting her breath back. Four was looking at her strangely. The animation and excitement that had been on his face while they lay in the snow was gone. It was replaced with a look of confusion or regret. Did he regret kissing her?

"I'm sorry, Tris," he said. "I just remembered there's somewhere I have to be."

"Oh, right now?" It was quite a coincidence that he only just remembered as they were sharing a kiss.

"Yes, I'm sorry," he said. "Thank you for the day. I had a really good time." Then he turned and walked away, leaving her confused and quite a bit hurt. Was he sorry that he had to leave, or sorry that he had kissed her?

Tris went back into the park that night and caught the man who took pictures of the carriage rides just before he left for the night. She made her purchase and as she walked to her car, she let her mind run back over the day. She'd heard the way he laughed on the ice. It wasn't a fake laugh or a polite laugh. It was a hearty, robust, from the gut kind of laugh. The kind that says a person is having a great time. She looked down at the Santa Claus in her hand and remembered the way he'd picked her up and swung her around when he'd won it. Four had been truly happy then too. She thinks he had fun… she knows he did, but something was standing in the way of him admitting that and going with his feelings. Maybe he hasn't been in a relationship for a while. From what he said about Christmas with his family… or without them, he didn't sound like the relationship there was a close one either. Maybe he'd been hurt in the past and had closed himself off from intimacy. Maybe whatever happened to him had happened at Christmas time and that's why this time of year made him so unhappy.

She was sure that was what it was. He was so successful and so rich that it probably intimidated a lot of people. Some people might think that would give him an advantage in the dating pool, but unless he was looking for someone just as rich as himself, she can imagine how his position would scare a lot of women off. Most men in his position dated actresses or models. They were women with high self-confidence and just as much money. She did have good self-confidence, but she was lacking in the money department. He still didn't frighten her; even knowing that he was her boss wasn't intimidating. She's not sure why, she supposed because she'd been raised not to judge people by the things they had or didn't have. Should she respect her boss's authority? Of course. Did that mean she had to cow down to him? Of course not. His businesses and material possessions were only things after all. What really mattered was your heart and soul. She felt his heart today; when he laughed, when he hugged her and most definitely when they kissed. It was a good heart, a romantic one, whether he was ready to admit that or not. Maybe the wall he'd built around it just needed to be chipped away at. She wasn't ready to give up on him yet. She was willing to do a little chipping and see if she could break through. Besides, her heart already felt a connection to him. She wasn't going to cheat herself out of the first real feelings she'd had for a man in a long time. She decided that he was definitely worth some time and effort. If nothing came of it, at least she would be able to say that she tried.

***********PAGEBREAK*************

"Four?" Amar, his VP of marketing was looking at him strangely. They were sitting in their regular Monday morning meeting and he guessed his mind had drifted off topic. He had no idea what he'd just said. "Are you okay?" Amar asked him. Amar had worked for him for years. He'd never had cause to ask him if he was okay before this.

"I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind. I'm sorry, Amar. Can you repeat that?"

He was talking about advertisement for the products they distributed to New Zealand. He'd enlisted a production company to shoot short videos and television ads. It was going to cost a fortune, but start-up always did. Four never let cost get in the way of a good business decision. Today, he just didn't care either way. He let him give his spiel for the second time that morning he supposed, and then Four let Hal, his Chief financial officer barter with him about the cost. He'd hardly even processed what he'd said. His mind was definitely elsewhere; a few floors down to be exact. He'd been thinking about Tris almost constantly since… well, he guessed since the day he saw her step off the elevator if he's being honest with himself. That was what started it all. It was why I'd even been at that auction in the first place. If he had been thinking then, he would have known it was too close to Christmas to get so close to anyone. Then he'd agreed to go to that fair. Against his own better judgment, he'd had a good time… too good.

"Four?" This time it was Hal bringing Four back to the present.

"Yes?"

"I asked if you would be okay with those figures…"

"Oh, um… what was it, exactly?" Four asked.

He repeated them and then said, "Are you sure you're alright?" Now, everyone at the table was looking at him strangely. He needed to remember that he had a position to uphold here.

"Yes, I'm sure. I apologize to all of you. I don't mean to waste your time this morning. I have something urgent that I should deal with. I trust your judgment on this Hal, and you too Amar. Go ahead and arrange it for whatever Hal thinks the right budget will be and I'll sign for it." Four looked at Nita then; she was taking notes for the agenda. Laurel usually did that, but she was busy working on plans for the Christmas party. It was another thing Four didn't want to think about at the moment. "Just transfer whatever else is on the agenda to next Monday, unless it's urgent. If so, star it and Nita can bring it up with me later in the week."

"Yes sir," Nita said, standing up. The rest of the executives at the table were still looking at him strangely, but they got up from it and before they finally left him completely alone, Hal hung back to speak with him.

"Is this about the meeting with Xiong this evening? Are there problems you're anticipating?" The meeting was important, crucial actually. Dauntless needed to branch out into broader markets with the economy the way it was here in the states. They'd gone into Russia and New Zealand so far and dabbled a bit in the U.K., and now they were looking at China. But Four didn't anticipate any problems. He had all his ducks in a row for the meeting. Hal was a worrier though, so Four wasn't surprised that was where his mind had gone.

"No Hal. That meeting should go just as planned. It's a personal matter. But, I'm fine, really."

He gave Four a nod and the meeting finally disbursed. He could understand why they were all so alarmed by his behavior. It was definitely unlike him to be so absent during a meeting. He was always on point and he was angry with himself over being distracted today. He never let herself get so off track. That reminded Four of what Tris had said about going off track and making new discoveries. He had discovered plenty by staying on track, hadn't he? He was focused and driven, that was what had led to his success at such a young age. He started this company with very little and now look where they were at.

Four was willing and able to put aside things that other young men held up as priorities, such as attachments to pretty women. He never got attached to women. He had plenty of dates, and plenty of women who wanted to attach themselves to him but he just never let it happen. Tris was just so different though. He wasn't used to a woman who was so blatantly enthusiastic about life. Not material things, not money… just life.

She'd wanted to pay for everything that day at the park. That was another thing he wasn't used to. It wasn't that he minded paying for things. God knows he had more money than he could spend in a lifetime even if he tried. But, somehow it felt more human to have someone buy you a sandwich or a cup of coffee for a change, especially someone who knew he could afford to buy his own. He didn't get the feeling that she was trying to attach herself to him either. He got that feeling from a lot of women. He thought she likes him, but not the him that most people want to be attached to, Four Eaton, CEO, the guy with the power and the money. She liked the Four on his ass on the ice, and the one who felt compelled to beat a silly twelve year old at a silly midway game. He can't remember the last time that someone liked that Four. Heck, he couldn't even remember the last time that he was that Four. That...Tobias. Tris had brought that out in him, the guy who wasn't afraid of relinquishing a bit of control and having fun. He thinks that's what it was about her that had gotten under his skin.

He'd gotten so caught up in it all that day that he had kissed her. It was an amazing kiss. It was the kind that sent electric currents running down your spine and into your toes. He wanted nothing more than to deepen that kiss, but instead, he'd run away like a coward and left her standing there alone. He'd probably be lucky if she ever wanted to speak to him again. Someday she was going to see something like whatever it is that she saw in him in another guy. He'd end up with her and he would be right where he was today, rich and lonely. Lately the only time the feeling of loneliness went away was when he was with Tris.

The kiss was two days ago though and he hadn't seen her or called her. He's never been afraid of anything in my life. When his mother died he knew instinctively that he was going to be the only person that he could count on for the rest of his life. His father was not a father to him, and he proved that by beating him. He'd learned to do everything from that point on, by himself, and none of it frightened him. It motivated him, in fact. Tris, and the way that kiss had made him feel frightened him to no end. He'd had plenty of kisses, but none of them hit him in the gut the way that one had. The fact that it frightened him made me angry with himself.

Four sat at that desk in the empty conference room staring at the walls wondering if he should call her. Should he just go down there and talk to her? He'd love to see her. Her energy alone infects him. He hadn't realized until the moment he'd become infected by it that something was missing in his life. He thought he had everything he wanted or needed. Surely if he just stayed away from her now, the feelings will eventually fade. It wasn't like he was in love with her…


	6. Chapter 6

(A/N-Special thanks to Lynn for beta reading this. And also thanks to all who read, review, follow and fav this story. You guys are amazing!)

* * *

Tris tried not to, but since Saturday night he hadn't been able to think about anything except Four and that kiss. She kept hoping that he would call her, or send her a text or an email or something, but to no avail. She had taken Christmas cookies that she made on Sunday in to her co-workers and she'd even thought about taking some up to him. She was worried about getting the rumor mill started, she didn't want to make being friends with her difficult, he seemed to be having a hard enough time with that already. She hoped that's what they were becoming… friends. It had definitely felt like more than that when he kissed her, but then he'd taken off and she didn't know if that was because he felt regret, or panic. It hurt either way.

She thought about him saying that he had a big meeting later today with some men that were coming in from China. She probably shouldn't expect to hear from him after that. She's no executive, but she can imagine a thing like that would be pretty stressful.

"Tris?" She looked up to see Al at her desk. He had that look of reverence in his eyes that was always there when he looked at her.

"Hi Al, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing," he said. "I just wanted to thank you for the cookies. My Monday was kind of crappy and then I saw them in the break room with your little Christmas note. Actually, I smelled them first. You could use them as potpourri. I'm sure they don't last long enough for that though. They were delicious. That was really nice of you. Thank you."

Tris smiled. Poor Al was really a nice guy. It was too bad that she wasn't attracted to him at all. "You're welcome. That was what I was hoping to do, brighten everyone's Monday. I love to bake. It's cathartic for me." She wasn't going to tell Al, but baking all day Sunday was how she'd lifted her own spirits after what happened on Saturday.

"It worked. You're amazing," he said. He gave her that look again, the one that said he was infatuated, and the one that made her uncomfortable. She didn't know why she couldn't just fall for a guy like Al who was so easy going. It must be because she liked a challenge so much.

"I appreciate you stopping in, Al. Was there anything else you needed?" She asked, trying to hurry him along. The way he looked at her made her feel guilty some times for not reciprocating.

"No, that was it," he said. Then he thanked her again and went back to his own office. His visit made her feel good, in spite of the slightly uncomfortable part there at the end. She was glad to know that she'd lifted someone's spirits. It gave her an idea. She could sneak up to the tenth floor while Four was in his meeting and leave a plate of them for him with a note. He'd said the meeting was late afternoon, so when she got off he should still be in the meeting. Maybe it would ease his stress after the meeting. At the very least, it would let him know that she's thinking about him. She hoped that would be a good thing.

She went to go and grab some cookies out of the break room; she had brought several dozen, but she knew from experience they would all be gone soon. Just as she got to the open office door, the phone rang. She went back and answered it, it was her friend Christina.

"Hey Tris! I'm sorry to call you at work, but I wanted to catch you this afternoon. I'm making reservations for our annual dinner on Thursday. I'm getting a head count. Are you bringing a date?"

"N-Actually, yes…I think I am," sye said, suddenly getting another idea.

"Great! I'll make yours for two. I'm looking forward to seeing you, girl! It's been what… since Halloween?"

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I took this manager position and I work more instead of less. How is that possible?"

Christina laughed, "I know what you mean. I worked sixty hours last week. We need to stop this or we'll turn into some stuffed shirt CEO's someday." That made Tris think of Four again. She wondered what her friend would think of her… whatever this was she was feeling for him.

"Never!" Tris told her, jokingly.

"I'll see you on Thursday and then we'll make a standing date for once a month after that, work or no. You'll have to dish to me about your date too."

"Sounds great, thanks Christina," Tris told her. She hung up with a smile and a warm glow inside. She'd known Christina since she was in high school. They roomed together for the first two years and then she'd gotten my own place. They talked on the phone often, but she was right, it had come down to seeing each other only on holidays. She was ready to rectify that. Tris needed her friends in her life. Maybe by the time they had their "standing date" she'd have something to "dish" about.

Tris went to the break room after that and was happy to find that there were enough cookies left for her to take several to Four and not wipe them completely out. There were a couple of notes next to them from her co-workers thanking her too. That made her smile. She filled a little festive plastic plate with the cookies and took them back to her office. Then, she wrote a note:

Four,

Here's hoping that a little sugar and a lot of Christmas cheer can chase your stress away. Happy Monday!

Tris

P.S. I have a dinner party to attend on Thursday night with a group of my friends. We do it every year at the Chasm and I would love it if you could join me. We'll be there at eight. I'll just expect you…whether you respond or not. I won't take no for an answer.

She put the note in an envelope and wrote his name on the outside of it in a red, felt marker before she got back to work. That evening when it was time for her to leave, she took the plate and envelope up to the tenth floor. She stepped off the elevator and looked around. She'd never been this high up in the building. It was nice to see that their offices were decorated as nicely and as comfortably as they were up here. It was further proof that although Four was loaded, he didn't hold himself up higher than anyone else. She really liked that about him.

She followed the sign to Suite #1 where she knew his office was from their company directory. His assistant Laurel's desk sat outside his door, but she wasn't there. It was after five, so she was probably already gone for the day. She noticed that she had her little corner decorated for the holidays. She even had a string of colored lights around her desk. She had to wonder what Four thought about that. She knocked on his door, but there was no answer. Tentatively, she tried the knob. The door pushed open and she suddenly realized that not exactly everything was the same up here. Four's office was huge; the size of four, or maybe five of the regular offices. There was his desk of course, but also a large oak conference table, a black leather couch and two chairs, a fireplace, a wet bar, a closet and a very large bathroom, fully equipped with a shower. He could live here if he wanted to. She saw a shirt draped over one of the chairs and got a glimpse into the half opened closet where several suits hung. She wondered if sometimes he did. That made her a little sad. Everyone should have a warm home that they were dying to get to after work. She personally loved going home to her own. She noticed in the office that seemed to have everything, that there was one thing conspicuously missing… Christmas. This time of year when everything else was decorated so festively, it made the beautiful office seem a little sad.

She went over to his desk and sat down the cookies and the note. While she was there, she glanced out the window. He had four huge windows that took up most of the wall behind his desk. The view was breathtaking. The sun was just beginning to go down and the lights of Manhattan were beginning to burn across the city. It was beautiful. Tris wondered if it made him happy. She glanced at what was on his desk… office supplies, and what was on the walls… artwork. There was nothing personal, no photographs, no diplomas or awards. She couldn't help but wonder what his life was like outside of here, and why he kept it so closed off from everyone else. Feeling sad for him, she closed the door behind her as she left and headed for home, hoping that she'd at least brightened his day a little bit

****************PAGEBREAK**********

The big meeting that he'd been preparing for and anticipating for weeks went well. China was an important market that Dauntless Inc. hadn't yet broken into. The gentlemen he met with were more than willing to hear what he had to say about how their products would benefit their communities. They were even happier about it when he told them about their company's all green plans. It was something their own company prided themselves on. The only difficult part of the meeting was communication. Four knew a little bit of Mandarin, he'd taken it in college. His skills unfortunately weren't honed enough for such an important meeting, so most of it was accomplished via an interpreter. That in itself was exhausting, and a bit worrisome. He trusted his interpreter but he still worried occasionally that things might get lost in translation.

When the meeting ended, Four said good-bye to his new business partners and headed back to his office to get his things. He felt so weary, but he knew that he wasn't just tired tonight. Something just felt… off. He had this big, empty feeling in his chest lately for some reason. Usually after a meeting like the one he'd just had, he'd be so excited that he was bouncing off the walls. He'd often go out for a celebratory drink and occasionally meet a nice woman for some temporary company. Not today though, not even the success of the meeting had made him happy. He had no desire to be with a woman either. At least not one he could find in a bar. He couldn't put his finger on what had changed and it annoyed him.

He opened his office door and was surprised by a pleasant spiced aroma. He figured that Laurel had bought one of those scented candles or plug in devices for the office. She didn't force Christmas on him, she knew better. But she had her little subtle ways of giving him hints. Her fragrances were often part of that every year, as was her gaudily decorated desk outside his office door. He walked over to his own desk to retrieve his briefcase and was surprised to see a plate of cookies and an envelope with his name on it. He picked up the envelope and slipped out the note.

It was from Tris. He should have known. Who else would have the nerve to sneak in his office when he was out and leave Christmas cookies? Or Christmas anything for that matter. Geez! What was it going to take for her to get it? He didn't like Christmas, why was that a crime? He didn't really read the note; he just tossed it back down on the desk and picked up the plate of cookies. He was about to dump them in the wastebasket when the scent assaulted his senses again. He set the plate back down and sat himself down behind his desk. He supposed she wasn't going to know the difference if he ate them or not, so tasting one wouldn't be encouraging her behavior. Besides, although it was slightly annoying, it was a nice thought. He knew that she had something to do with the change in the way he'd been feeling about his life lately, he just wasn't sure what.

He picked up one of the cookies and took a bite. He hated to admit it, but it was delicious. He ate the whole thing. Then, he poured himself a cup of coffee and went back for the other two. By the time he finished his coffee and all three cookies, he was feeling so much better. It was amazing what a little sugar and caffeine could do. He was still unwilling to admit that his feelings for Tris had anything to do with his sudden change of attitude.

Curiosity overcame him and he reached for the note again. This time he actually read it:

Four,

Here's hoping that a little sugar and a lot of Christmas cheer can chase your stress away. Happy Monday!

Tris

P.S. I have a dinner party to attend on Thursday night with a group of my friends. We do it every year at the Chasm and I would love it if you could join me. We'll be there at eight. I'll just expect you…whether you respond or not. I won't take no for an answer.

Okay, she was right about the sugar. It didn't matter to him that they were Christmas cookies though. It was the ingredients that had worked, not the decoration. He wasn't going to believe she'd baked Christmas spirit into them.

She'd invited him out on a date, he would assume. That was nice of her, but the part about her assuming that he would just show up; that bothered him. What made her assume such a thing? Was it the kiss? Had he given her the idea that they were something they're not? He leaned his elbows on the desk and put his head in his hands. What had he done? He didn't normally do this. He never set a woman up to get her heart broken right before he left on his Christmas trip. He never set them up period. He always told them straight out what he was looking for. It was always temporary. Why was Tris so different?

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Tris went by the mall on her way home from work on Wednesday evening and bought a new dress. She wanted to look great for dinner Thursday night, especially since she hadn't heard from Four. She hadn't been convinced that he would agree to go, but since she hadn't heard from him and it was already Wednesday night, she thought that was a good sign. She thought he was enough of a gentleman that he would have surely called if the answer was no. She couldn't imagine him just not showing up. She walked around and listened to the Christmas music and looked at all the pretty decorations. She got some ideas for her own tree from the one in the center of the mall and while she was there, she bought some more Christmas decorations. She enjoyed seeing everyone out, looking happy and excited that the season was finally upon us. She went home with a warm, happy feeling in her heart.

She left work early on Thursday with Zeke's blessing. She had a ton of vacation time saved up and he was more than willing to let her use it here and there before the holidays. She went straight home and started getting ready. She took a long, hot bubble bath first. It felt so good to soak in the warm, soft bubbles when the weather was so harsh and cold outside. She loved the snow, but she loved it even more from the warmth of her own home.

When she got out of the tub, she slipped on her robe and she put her hair in hot rollers. Afterwards, she applied her make-up carefully and then she slipped on her new dress. It was a red pleated chiffon gown with beaded back bodice and it was sleeveless with beads that went across the shoulders. It had an A-line skirt that ended just below the knee. She had the perfect pair of silver shoes to wear with it. Once she was dressed, she took out the rollers and shook her hair out loose around her face and across her shoulders. She painted her fingernails and her toenails and when they dried, she put on a silver chain, earrings and shoes. She took a final look in the mirror before she put on her coat. She was satisfied with the result. She grabbed her bag and then crossed her fingers and made a wish on the star outside her window that Four would show up, and then she headed out.

On her way to the restaurant, she thought about how long it had been since she'd seen all of her dear friends. Christina and her fiancé had a Halloween party and everyone was there. She'd dressed up like a cheetah in a costume that she'd made herself. It was a body suit with a little skirt and she'd made gloves and ears with the same material. The party had been a blast and she'd won best costume. The only regret she had that night was that all of her friends, even the unmarried ones, had partners. Some of them were just dating still, but they'd all been together for a while. She liked them all, and they all made her feel welcome… but she still felt a little bit like the odd man out. Christina was always trying to set her up with one of Will's, her fiancé's, friends. She appreciated that she worried about her and wanted to see her in a happy relationship, but she was of a mind that when it came to the man she was meant to be with, she would find him on her own, and she'd know when she found him.

She parked her car in the lot and got a little excited tickle when she saw a limousine driving in. The driver got out to open the door for their passenger. It wasn't Four's chauffer James, who she counted as one of her newest friends. She felt disappointed when she saw the smartly dressed man and woman get out of the car while the chauffeur held the door. She shook it off quickly, however, telling herself it was early yet. There was still time for Four to show. She wasn't going to let herself get down tonight. Tonight was about good times with good company.

She spotted Will and Christina at the bar when she walked in. She checked her coat and went over to see them.

"Tris!" Christina wrapped her in a hug. "I'm so happy to see you. Look at you, you're gorgeous! How are you still single?"

Laughing, she thanked her and said, "I have no idea. And right back at you. I love that color on you!" She looked gorgeous, especially tonight in her strapless red holiday dress.

"What about me?" Will pretended to pout. "This suit is the exact shade of my eyes." Tris hugged him too.

"Of course it is… I was just going to say…" Tris was so happy that Christina found him. They were perfectly suited to each other. He was a really good guy.

"Where is your date?"

"He'll be here soon," Tris told her. "He's meeting me here."

"I can't wait to meet him," she said.

"Where is everyone else?" Tris asked them.

"Edward and Maya will be here soon. She just text me, and I think I see Nadine and Tom walking in now." Tris turned to them heading their way. They all hugged and talked for a bit.

"Are we ready to sit?" Will asked. Christina looked at her questioningly. She was sure she didn't want to embarrass her by asking where her date was and Tris loved her for it.

"Sure, let's sit. My date should be here soon," Tris said.

They all sat down and the server took their drink and appetizer orders. Tris was starting to get nervous that Four wasn't going to show up. She regretted telling Christina that she had a date; the empty chair next to her looked ominous. She knew her friends wouldn't judge her for it, but they'd feel badly for her and she didn't want to be the cause of a damper on the evening. She kept looking towards the door and the bar, crossing her fingers that he was still going to make it, although she knew at this point she was fooling herself. It was already half past eight. She took one final look and turned back towards Christina to tell her they could order… he wasn't going to come. That was when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Excitedly she turned around… and there was Al.

"Al, hi!" Tris said, surprised to see him and hoping her disappointment wasn't showing on her face. She was also a little concerned about why Al was here. Was he stalking her now? That was kind of a mean thought. This was a popular, public place. She was just so disappointed that it hadn't been Four tapping her.

"Hey Tris," he said. "I was having a drink at the bar and saw you. I just wanted to say hi and tell you that you look fantastic." He had that look on his face again.

"Thanks," Tris said. He was so nice and she felt really mean for being so disillusioned when she first saw him. She turned to Christina who had been in conversation with Nadine. Edward and Maya were talking to Will. Tris didn't think anyone had heard what she and Al said to each other. "Have a seat," Tris told him, quickly. He looked surprised, but happy. He sat down in Four's empty chair and she leaned in and whispered, "I was wondering if you haven't eaten yet, if you'd like to join us for dinner?"

Al's face lit up and he said, "Yes, I'd love to."

"Okay, thank you," Tris told him, smiling back. "I'm going to introduce you as my date, so play along, okay?" She'd done her best for so long to not encourage him and she was probably undoing all of that right now. He looked about to burst he was so happy. She didn't think it could be all that wrong. It made her happy that he was happy. She was still disappointed in Four. The least he could have done was call…

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It was already half past eight when Four got to the restaurant. He should have called Tris and let her know he was running late. The reason that he didn't was that he was running late because he hadn't decided to go until the very last minute. Once he finally stopped waffling back and forth, he was already late and he thought it would be better if he just explained himself when he got there.

All week he had been going back and forth about it. He would tell himself he wasn't going. Tris was too fascinated by Christmas and since it was almost Christmas time, he would get roped into all of her "Christmassy" activities or he would break her heart when he left for Paris and refused to do Christmas with her. Either way, it was a bad situation. It was too close to Christmas to lead her on. The holiday obviously meant a lot to her.

He would pick up the phone to call her and tell her all that but before he dialed her number, he would put it back down and start the argument for going to the restaurant. He would tell himself that not dating her because she liked Christmas was ridiculous. It was true; it was probably the most ridiculous reason for not dating a person that he'd ever heard. If he knew it was ridiculous, imagine how it would sound to other people. He may as well just stop dating period. Everyone loves Christmas, except for him. He had his reasons of course, but that was also something he didn't want to have to talk about. He liked Tris. What would be wrong with dating her? She would eventually come to understand that they would just always differ on the subject of Christmas… right?

Finally after debating it to death in his head and getting very little work done all week, Four decided to go. First and foremost because he hadn't seen her since Saturday and he really missed her face. Second of all because he'd never called her to decline and just not showing up would be much too rude. Thirdly, he was hoping if he made contact with her and maybe got a few things settled, he'd be able to concentrate on something else for a while and actually get some work done. It was only a date after all.

Four walked inside and was still standing near the front of the restaurant when he saw her. She looked so beautiful that even from a distance she took his breath away. She was seated at a table with three other couples and the seat next to her was empty. Presuming it was for him, he started over. That was when he saw Al. He worked for him and he had seen him at the auction, bidding like mad for Tris. Four asked Zeke if there was anything between them and he had laughed. He told Four that Tris is too nice to tell him to get lost, and that Al was infatuated with her. He could see the way he was looking at her now, with worship in his eyes. Before he made it as far as the bar, Al was taking Four's seat. He cursed himself in his head and turned towards the bar. He didn't think that she'd invited Al in his place. What he thought was that she had to save face because like an idiot, he hadn't shown up and he hadn't called.

Four glanced back over at them. Tris had her back to him now and the light over the table shone off her silky, honey gold hair. He wanted to touch it… he wanted to kiss her again. He had a wild urge to go over and force Al out of his chair. He was his employee after all. He could use his clout to get rid of him. He didn't do any of those things. Thank God for impulse control and common sense. Four knew that he was too late and if he went over now he would make her and everyone else at the table uncomfortable. He would never use his power over an employee like that either. He doubted that Tris would be okay with it. She didn't seem like the type who would be impressed by such nonsense. With a final glance at her lovely profile, he left. He felt like a fool. It wasn't a feeling he was used to.

Four let another week go by without contacting Tris. He owed her a huge apology for not showing up to dinner. Well, as far as she knew, he didn't show up. He was ashamed of himself for not following through with calling her to at least apologize. He kept telling himself that if he let enough time pass between them the feelings would go away. He didn't know when he suddenly became a coward. It wasn't like him at all. He'd never been hesitant to ask a woman he found attractive out and he'd never met one that intimidated him in the least. When it was time to stop seeing her because it had become unpleasant for him for whatever reason, he just told her the truth. He'd dated some of the richest women in the world as well as a lot of poor ones. He'd never met one that affected him the way that Tris did, and it scared the hell out of him. So what had he done about it? Absolutely nothing. He kissed her and she brought him cookies and invited him out, and he hadn't so much as called her. When or if he finally did, he doubted that she'll believe he waited so long because he didn't know what to say, but that was the honest to God truth. He was the CEO of a multi-national company. He's rich and he'd powerful and he's confident. Why can't he just pick up the phone and call her?

"Mr. Eaton?"

Laurel had just stuck her head in the door. She'd been timid with him this week; he's guessing that she sensed his mood. She knew him well enough to know when to keep her distance. His bite wasn't so fierce, but sometimes his bark could get out of control. She was great at diverting him when that happened, but she often just tried to avoid it altogether.

"Yes, Laurel?"

"I have your mail. Would you like me to open and go through it?"

"No, I have time to do it, Laurel, thank you." She brought in a bundle and laid it on his desk.

"If there's anything you need me to do with it, I've finished the reports for the day and I have a free afternoon."

"You know what, Laurel? I'm sure there's nothing here that can't wait until Monday. Why don't you go home early? I'm sure you have some Christmas shopping or something to do, right?" He wasn't a complete ogre.

"Are you sure, sir?"

"I'm positive, Laurel. Go home. Enjoy your weekend."

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome." Four watched her leave and close the door. With a sigh he picked up the first piece of mail. He could tell what it was without opening it, a Christmas card. He slid the envelope open just to be sure. It was in fact a card from one of his clients. He threw it in the wastebasket. He shuffled through, picking out all of the ones that looked like cards. He opened them one by one and threw them away. This was why Laurel offered to do his mail… the big reason, anyways. She knew that he always threw his cards away and never sent any out. He suspected that she kept them and sent cards out to those that had sent him one. She'd tried to tell him once that it was rude to just throw them away. That was one of the times she'd endured his bark. Since then, he thinks she tried to intercept as many as she could.

He finally slid open the last card in front of him. This one didn't have a return address, so it must have been dropped off in the mail room, which he thought was odd. He pulled it out and on the front it said, "Believe" and there was a picture of an old fashioned Santa Claus sitting in a chair in front of a hearth. He started to dump it with the rest of them, but something about it reminded me of Tris. He smiled when he thought about her Santa Claus obsession and the sweet story she'd told him. But she knew he didn't do Christmas. He'd been clear on that. Surely she hadn't… he opened it and it said, "Keep Christmas in your heart now and always." At the bottom was Tris' signature. He tossed the card down on the desk in frustration. Why can't she get that he didn't want anything to do with Christmas? Why can't she understand that he doesn't want to get close to her for that reason? His head was throbbing by the time he left to go home. He couldn't have explained it if someone had put a gun to his head, but for some reason he put her card in his briefcase and took it with him. He thought it was best if he didn't see her until he got back from his trip, but what could keeping the card really hurt?

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Tris was excited about the Dauntless Christmas party, mostly because she assumed Four would be there. It had been weeks since she'd laid eyes on him. The day at the park when he'd kissed her had been the last time she saw or spoke to him. She sent him emails, left him cookies, invited him to dinner and sent him a Christmas card. She hadn't heard a single word from him in return, and a smarter woman would have given up by now. I was a woman who knew what she wanted, and he had sent her more than one signal that he wanted her too. She wasn't ready to give up just yet… at least not until he told her to straight to her face.

She arrived at the party alone. It seemed to her when she walked in that everyone had someone and she was beginning to regret not taking a date. Even Al brought a date. That was like an arrow to her heart. She took a deep breath then and walked in with her head and her spirits high. Whether or not she got to see Four, and whether or not he talked to her, she was going to have a great time tonight.

The room was decorated beautifully with red linen tablecloths and white poinsettias on each table. There was an eight foot Christmas tree decorated with lovely hand-tied bows and delicate looking glass ornaments. There was a dance floor with red and white striped posts around it and beautiful wreaths hanging on them. It looked and smelled like Christmas and the soft sounds of Christmas music piped out of the speakers.

Tris looked around and spotted Four. He was at the executives table, way in the front. He looked so handsome in a perfectly tailored black suit and red tie with a red swatch in the pocket and stylishly mussed hair. She couldn't help but look at his lips and remember that kiss. The only problem with his look was that as usual, he looked so serious. If he only knew how beautiful his smile was, she thinks he'd use it more.

Four was sitting at his table, talking with Hal and Amar about boring work issues when he looked up and saw an angel walk through the door. Tris was wearing a dress that was the same color as the one he'd bought her that first day, the one she hadn't worn to the restaurant. It was shorter and her legs were gorgeous. He never told her that he'd picked it out himself. He wanted to go over and say hello, but she hadn't seen him yet. He could see her talking and laughing with some of the people from her department. She looked so happy and so festive; he didn't want to interrupt. Happy and festive, he was not.

She took a seat at the table with the others from marketing. Part of him was happy to see that she hadn't brought a date. The other part of him told himself that he had a lot of nerve. He'd basically shunned her at every turn. She'd reached out to him so many times. He had no right to expect her to remain single and mooning over him until this blasted holiday was over with no matter how much h hoped that would be the case.

Dinner was served and while he ate and tried to keep up with the conversation at his own table he couldn't keep from looking over at her. She was surrounded by an aura, that drew people to her. Every time he looked at her she seemed to be making someone else laugh. People were gathered around her and he understood why… he wanted to be there too. He knew if he was he'd be self-conscious and he would find himself believing that people were only being nice to him because they wanted something… everyone except Tris.

When dinner was finally over, it was time for him to give his annual speech. He took the stage, determined not to look at Tris while he was there so that he'd be able to recall the words he'd written to address his employees and colleagues tonight.

"Good evening everyone. Thank you all for coming this evening. I'd like to start out by telling you all how nice you look tonight. This is usually the only time of year I get to see you all out in your formal wear. I have to say, you all wear it well. It's great to get together like this and see you all with your significant others and having fun instead of working as hard as you normally are when I see you. I'd like to raise a toast to you all and that those smiles I see on your faces last through the upcoming year."

Everyone raised their glasses and said their "Here here's" and their "To you too boss's!" Four made the mistake of glancing at Tris then. She was holding up her glass, smiling at him. He froze for several seconds. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He suddenly realized that an uncomfortable silence had fallen across the room.

"Forgive me, I was trying to think of the best way to say this next part. The Japanese say that business is war. I think that most days, they're right. Nothing about establishing and building this business was easy. I do have to say though that it's a war I couldn't have fought alone. Every one of us in this room has fought one hell of a battle this past year. It was a battle that we won. It shows in our numbers and our customer satisfaction ratings. I'd love to thank you all individually, but since I'm likely to forget someone I'll say this: Each and every one of us has done our part and it's resulted in one of the best years that Dauntless Incorporated has ever had, so pat yourselves on the back, you deserve it." Again, he looked at Tris and she was doing as one may have guessed, patting herself on the back. He tried to keep a straight face, he's not sure he was doing a very good job… he had to struggle to remember where he'd left off.

He held up his glass and said, "Cheers and happy holidays to you all." They were clapping again and his eyes cut back to Tris. She had picked up about five empty glasses and was pretending to jog over to the bar to fill them up. She had her friends laughing and Four wishing he was one of them.

When he was done with his speech, he went to the bar and had a hard drink. He glanced back over towards the table where Tris sat. She still had people flocked around her, men and women alike. Her admirer Al had brought a date to the party, but it didn't stop him from being right there where she was, looking at her adoringly. She wasn't the kind of woman who didn't have choices. Four wondered if he waited until he came back from his trip to make any kind of move, if he would completely blow his only chance with her.

He finished his drink and was about to go home when he turned around and was looking into Tris' beautiful eyes.

"Why so serious?" she said, doing her best "Joker" impression. She'd probably be surprised to know he was a big "Dark Knight" fan. It was a movie he watched at home, alone. He's not sure if powerful men were supposed to like comic book movies, so he kept it to himself.

"This is just not really my kind of party," Four said.

"A party's a party. Look around you. Everyone is having a great time and best of all, it's because of you. You did this for them, for all of us. You should be happy that everyone is enjoying themselves so much."

"I am happy people are having fun."

"Then you should try and have some yourself. Ignore the Christmas atmosphere if you must and relax a little. Being so serious all the time isn't good for your health, and besides, it will give you frown lines and you'll have to spend money on Botox injections. Then, you'll have no expression at all." He laughed, she was too much sometimes.

"Dance with me," she suddenly blurted out.

Four looked out on the dance floor where people who'd had too much free champagne were moving around with jerky and in some cases mildly obscene movements. It was all set to a "Rocking around the Christmas tree" soundtrack. They could get away with that, they were only employees of the company. If he did it, they would talk about it for years to come.

"I don't think so, but thanks," Four told her.

"Aw, come on, party-pooper. I don't have a date and everyone else does. You wouldn't want to be responsible for me sitting in a corner all alone without anyone to dance with, would you?"

"Guilt, that's dirty pool."

"Yes, I admit that it is," she said with a grin. "All that matters is whether or not it worked."

A slow Christmas song started then. This was exactly why he hadn't seen her in three weeks. When she looked at him with those eyes he couldn't say no.

"Okay, one dance… a slow one."

She giggled and clapped her hands together like a little girl. Before he knew it, she was towing him out to the dance floor. He took her into his arms and they started swaying to the slow music. He could feel everyone looking at them. He wondered what they were saying about him, the boss who hates Christmas… dancing with an employee.

"Relax," she said.

"What?"

"You're so tense. Don't worry about what anyone else is thinking. Pretend that it's just you and me, dancing alone in a deserted room." Four wished it were. He tried to relax his muscles, but the more hs thought about them, the tenser they got.

Four could feel her warm breath on his neck and smell the fresh, clean fragrance of her hair. For a few seconds he closed his eyes and tried to breathe in her energy. It worked for a while. While the song went on he didn't see or feel or hear anything but the sound of her beautiful voice and the feel of her warm body against his. He wanted to kiss her so badly that at one point he had to bite his own lip to stop himself. The song ended… he's not sure how long ago it had ended when suddenly he realized that he was still standing there, holding her in his arms, looking into her eyes and dying to kiss her.

Before he knew it they were outside on a balcony overlooking the city. He looked at her and told her, "I should be going."

"Why? It's early yet. You seemed to just be starting to have fun."

"I was, with you. I have to admit that dancing with you was the best part of the evening. I'm just not comfortable with that much attention. I have a lot to do before my trip, so I really should go."

She suddenly looked up and said, "Okay, but there's one Christmas tradition that I haven't had a chance to get you to take part in this year and I'd really appreciate it if you would join me in this one last thing…"

He raised an eyebrow. She wasn't ever going to get it, Christmas and him just didn't mix. He had to ask though, "What tradition is that?"

She pointed above their heads. There was a sprig of mistletoe hanging on a line between the two trees, tied up with a red bow. This was the one thing out of all the traditions that he really was interested in, at least tonight with Tris. He wanted to kiss her so badly that his chest almost physically ached. He couldn't do that though. If he kissed her now, feeling the way that he did, he's not sure he'd be able to walk away without telling her how he felt. It wasn't the right time though. He was getting on a plane in two days. When he got back….

She leaned in towards him and he could feel her warmth. He had to physically pull himself away to keep from meeting her lips. He wanted to kiss her worse than he'd wanted anything for a really long time. Instead he stood up and said, "I have to go."

He walked away from her and when he got almost to the parking lot, he turned back and looked. Tris looked like he'd just broken her heart. He almost went back, it was killing him. He didn't though. If he went back and kissed her, things would just get more complicated. He turned back around and continued on to his car. All he could hope was that she didn't hate him too much to talk to him when he got back.


	7. Chapter 7

(A/N-Special thanks to Lynn for beta reading this. And also thanks to all who read, review, follow and fav this story. You guys are amazing! Well this is the last chapter and it will reveal a few things about why Four is the way he is. I hope you have enjoyed this story. And a new one starts Sunday. I'm running a little behind in it but hope to get it finished in time.)

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Four hadn't slept in two days. The first night he went over and over it in his head. By the end of the night that pitiful look on her face and the sight of her sitting there in the snow with her cheeks flushed and her hair turning white was burned into his brain and his heart. The next day he didn't even get out of bed. He was the CEO of one of the top ten most successful companies in the world. He hadn't spent an entire day in bed since… ever. But on December 23rd, he lay in his bed from sunup until sundown, feeling like a zit on the underbelly of humanity.

He finally fell asleep sometime around three a.m. on Christmas Eve. He woke up about five hours later. He lay there for a minute, considering what he was going to do with his day. His plane wasn't leaving until the late afternoon, but spending a second day in bed wasn't an option. He got up and showered and finished packing. He ate a light breakfast and had his coffee, but he still couldn't get his mind off of Tris, wondering if she would speak to him when he got back from his trip, wondering if they could possibly start over. He suddenly realized that he felt like he was choking on all of this indecision. He hated it. He needed some air. He had to get out of the apartment.

He drove aimlessly around the city for almost an hour when he suddenly realized where he was. He was in the vicinity of the Christmas fair that Tris and him had gone to the day she was the "boss." Surprising himself, he found a parking spot and wandered through the parking lot and into the park where the fair was going on. It was like he was being led by some kind of invisible force.

He wandered around the fair, turning down the offers of "fresh baked cookies" and "handmade trinkets." Disgusted both with himself and the festive atmosphere, he headed back towards the parking lot and his car. He'd had as much "Merry Christmas" and happy families as he could take for one day, and He just had to accept that he'd messed things up with Tris, likely to the point of no return.

Four stepped around a pile of little boys, and that was when he saw her. She looked beautiful, as usual. She had on blue jeans and a white parka. Her white beanie looked handmade and she had gloves to match. He stood mesmerized by the sight of her as she walked through the booths, taking long strides in her fur-lined white boots and with a smile on her gorgeous face. She looked like she was heading somewhere with a purpose in mind.

He thought about catching up to her and saying hello. Maybe trying to explain somehow why he'd left her sitting there the other night. He wasn't sure how to do that without telling her her life story and he wasn't ready to talk about that. Four knew that he should say something though. She deserved more respect than what he'd shown her so far. He had been hiding his true feelings for her. He hung back for a few minutes to see what she was doing, and when he saw her go up to the hot chocolate stand and buy three hot chocolates he was glad that he hadn't gone over. He assumed she was with friends and he wouldn't want to dampen her holiday celebrations. He should have turned and gone back to his car then, but he continued to watch her instead. She took the drink carrier from the girl at the kiosk and again, smiled merrily at everyone she passed as she made her way back through the park in the other direction. He was no stalker, but he was very curious about her life and what type of people she surrounded herself with that made her so happy, so he followed her.

She walked through the park away from the fair. Four thought that was strange and she made her way down a little cobblestone path to the sidewalk. There were a lot of people out and about, doing their last minute shopping no doubt, so it was easy for him to follow her without her noticing for a while. Her white beanie helped, he could see it bobbing up and down in the midst of the crowd if he couldn't see her. Eventually, she turned down another street. It was a little side street, not much bigger than an alleyway. He hung back so she didn't see him and when she got a few blocks away, he saw her turn again about a block ahead of him. Finally he saw her destination. It was a beautiful old graveyard that judging from the style of some of the mausoleums, looked like it had been around for decades. It was one that he wasn't familiar with although he'd lived in the city his entire life. It was tucked away into its own little haven with statues of angels and intricately carved tombs towering above the simple gravestones. Big, sad looking weeping willow trees surrounded the grounds and gave it kind of a spooky appearance. He didn't really do graveyards.

He saw her sit down, there were two graves marked with an attached headstone. The headstone had an angel carved on one side and a Santa Claus on the other, but he couldn't read what was on them from where he was. He watched Tris sit a hot chocolate on either side and then she took out the last one and began sipping it. She was talking, animatedly. She was making hand gestures and she would smile and frown and grimace, just as if she was having a conversation with a living person. What struck Four the most were the tears he could see rolling down her pretty face. She was always so happy that it tore at his heart to see her cry. He wanted to go over to her and take her in his arms and make whatever was distressing her go away. He didn't want to interrupt her moment, however no matter how kind he knew she would be about it. Watching her, he could tell this was something she'd done before. Whoever was lying in those graves was hearing about her life… he wondered who she had lost that was so special to her that she'd communicate with them like this even after they were gone.

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Every year since her parents died she did what she'd always done on Christmas Eve… she shared a hot chocolate with them and told them what was going on in her life. This year she told them about her new job and the fact that she'd already been promoted to an executive position; Tris was really proud of that and she knew they would be too. Thinking about how proud of her they would be was what got her through college with a 4.0 GPA even after they'd passed away. She learned to work hard by watching them and by basking in the encouraging words they always had for her. Her hard work was paying off for her now and she had her parents to thank for that and she liked to come to the cemetery and tell them so.

It was picture perfect and the only truly bad thing that ever happened to her was a plane crash when she was nineteen years old that took her parents from her. It took Tris a year of grieving before she realized something: The crash had only taken their bodies from her. She still had their spirits. Although she missed seeing them, she could feel them in her own heart… in her very soul most of the time.

After she told them about her job this Christmas Eve, she told them about Four. Tris supposed that he's not hers to tell about, but somehow he'd made his way into her heart and she can't seem to let him go. She told them how handsome he was, and how smart and when he wasn't trying so hard to be serious, how much fun he can be. He hurt her, the night of the party when he walked away, but she still can't let her hopes for him go. She told them that too. She had a feeling they would be proud of that. They trusted her judgment when they were here, she's sure that they still do.

***************PAGEBREAK*****************

Four waited for Tris to leave the cemetery that morning and then he went over and looked at the grave stones. One said, "Andrew Prior" loving father. The other said, "Natalie Prior" loving mother. The caption underneath it said, "The real Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus." Underneath that it said, "Alas! How dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus! There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, and no romance to make tolerable this existence.

Four couldn't help but smile at that. These must be her parents, the ones that had taught her to have such an amazing heart and spirit of the season. The sight of their graves made him sad for her. They also made him wonder even more how she could have such a positive outlook on life. How could she be such a happy person when the two people she loved most in the world weren't here any longer? He wondered about what she told him when he asked her how she was spending her holiday. She had simply said, "With my family." Was this what she meant, or did she have extended family that she holidayed with?

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Prior, my name is Four Eaton. Your daughter..." Four stopped talking. What was he going to say to them? He decided to tell them the truth.

When Four left he headed home, his emotions at an all time high. As he walked towards his front door, he saw a package there along with a note inviting him to spend Christmas day with her. It was from Tris!As usual, she left him smiling and shaking his head. He sat down on his couch and opened his gift, laughing out loud at the gift she gave him. She never gave up. Obviously, if she was inviting him to spend Christmas with her, she was alone just like he was. He'd been alone for a long time though… so long that he'd forgotten what a warm, happy Christmas was really like. He purposely tamped it all down, thinking there was no reason to think about it since he would never get it back. After a while, he'd stopped wanting to get it back. Then, he'd met Tris. As he was lost in these thoughts, his eyes fell on the clock. He hadn't realized that it had gotten late so fast. He grabbed his keys and hurried out.

***************PAGEBREAK*************

"I'm coming," Tris yelled out as there was a second rap. When she reached the door she stood on her tip toes and looked out the peephole. Four was standing there in the ugliest Christmas sweater in the world, the one she had bought for him as a joke and left on his front doorstep. She told herself that the world must be coming to an end. Why else would he be standing on her doorstep wearing that thing instead of on his trip to Paris?

"Good morning! Merry Christmas," Tris said as she opened the door.

"Good morning. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He was staring at her with a funny look and she suddenly realized what she must look like. She'd gone to bed with the tear stains from her movie and now that she thought about it, she could feel her hair sticking up every which way. Her robe was a little ratty… not because she couldn't afford a new one, but because this one was her favorite. She hadn't expected Four to ever see it, that's for sure.

"Yes, but I was getting up soon anyways," she told him. "Come in, please. You look… festive this morning. Please excuse how I look."

With a serious look he said, "You look amazing." It sounded like he really meant it. Then, he laughed a little about the sweater and said, "I thought it would be rude to show up for Christmas dinner in anything other than the sweater you so painstakingly picked out for me."

She couldn't hold it back any longer. She had to laugh. He was killing her in that sweater. It had a knit Santa and two reindeer sitting at a table playing cards on the front of it. It was tacky, to say the least.

"Are you laughing at my sweater?" he said, with mock offense. "My good friend, Tris got this sweater for me."

"Well, I hate to tell you this but with friends like that…"

"I know, right? I was hoping it was a joke." Four finally stepped inside and looked around. The apartment was small, but decorated in good taste and very festive with a Christmas tree and a table set with an entire tiny Christmas village. It was warm and welcoming and it smelled like cinnamon and spice. It reminded him of his home when he was a little boy. "Your home is very nice," he said.

"I'm going to make some coffee, would you like some?"

"I'd love some," he said.

"How about breakfast? Are you hungry?"

"The invitation only said "dinner." I'd hate to impose…"

"Well, I'm starving. So, I think I'll make some Belgium waffles and fruit. If I make more than was intended for only myself, maybe you'll join me?"

"If it will help," he said.

"Oh it would, very much. I hate to waste food." Tris said. "So what made you decide to show up? Didn't you have a vacation planned somewhere?"

"I did. I should be basking in Paris by now. Instead, I've re-scheduled it. I have forsaken it for the snow and sleet and numb fingers and toes. But Tris, this is your entire fault."

"My fault?"

He grinned and said, "You got under my thick skin somehow and I couldn't resist. I had to find out what this Christmas stuff was all about for someone like you who loved it so much. If it's still okay, I'd love to spend it with you."

"It is absolutely okay," she told him, excitedly. "Wait until you taste my waffles!"

They ate the waffles and fruit, making casual conversation about work. "So what did you do yesterday on Christmas Eve?" he asked.

"I went back to the fair and finished my shopping, I passed out the rest of my gifts and I visited my parents. Then I watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and ate chocolate chip cookies until I passed out crying."

He raised an eyebrow and said, "A movie called "It's a Wonderful Life" made you cry?"

"Oh my goodness, you've never seen it, have you?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Well, then it's on the agenda for today. It's part of Christmas you can't have Christmas without it."

He laughed, "Okay, just keep me posted on the agenda as the day goes by. Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure…"

"I was just wondering about your parents."

It had been seven years since she lost them, but it still hurt to talk about it. She poured herself another cup of coffee and said, "They both passed away when I was nineteen."

"I'm sorry for your loss and for bringing it up. I was curious because you speak so highly of them, but you never mentioned they were deceased. I was certain you'd be with them on Christmas if you could."

"Definitely, my parents were the best. I told you about me and my dad at Christmas. It was our favorite time of year. I don't talk about them like they're deceased because I still feel them so strongly in my soul that sometimes I honestly let myself forget. I guess it's just my way of coping."

He nodded and said, "We all cope in different ways. Do you still do the Santa Claus thing or was my sweater an impulse buy?"

"Definitely not an impulse buy. I put a lot of thought into it. I went to three different stores to get it just right." He laughed again. She loved the sound of it. "I do still do the Santa thing," she told him. "It wouldn't be like Christmas without it."

"So how do you do it? I mean decide how many to buy for and who and what and all of that?"

"First, since I'm now the financier, I decide how much is in my budget to spend. I have a special Christmas fund that I give to every month all year. I give to a few charities first and then use what's left for my Santa project. Once I know how much funds I have available, I do just as my father taught me. I try to think of something that people I knew or saw daily needed dearly."

"And you clearly saw that I needed an ugly sweater dearly…?"

"It was something that I'm sure you didn't have and would never buy for yourself, right?"

"That's for sure," he said with a grin.

Then seriously she told him, "I saw that you needed a smile dearly. I was hoping to give it to you."

"It worked," he said. "I've been smiling since I opened it this morning."

He was looking at her with that intense look that he got that made her just know he had feelings for her. She wanted to kiss him so badly. She wasn't going to make the first move again though. The ball was in his court. She took a deep breath.

"Anyways, that's how I do it."

"It's an amazing thing you do," he said.

"You do the same. I passed out all of the gifts you bought, remember?"

"It's not the same at all," he said. ""I guess, since you've shared so much with me that it's about time I share something with you."

Tris didn't want to break the spell that made him suddenly want to talk to her, so she didn't say anything. Instead, she just pulled out a chair and quietly took a seat. He took the other one and said, "I'm sorry that I've acted like it was a big mystery. The truth is that it's just really hard for me to even think about, much less talk about." He looked so distressed and she could see on his face how hard this was for him. She reached across the table and covered his hand with hers.

"I would like to know as much about you as you want to tell me. But if this is too hard, it's okay."

"I want you to know me," he said. "I wasn't born in a happy household with two loving parents. My mother did love me, my father was another story. He was abusive towards my mother and when that wasn't enough for him, he turned his abuse towards me. I have the scars, literally to prove it."

"I'm sorry, Four," Tris said. His grip on her tightened.

"My mother knew he was not going to stop. Not until he ended up hurting one of us to the point of no return. She told me that we would be leaving soon. It was on Christmas Eve and we had just got back from the store with my father when a neighbor asked what Santa was going to bring me, I said something to her about wanting a train set."

Tris held her breath as she waited for him to continue.

"My mother told my father that she forgot her pocketbook at the store, after convincing my father that she would go get it and come right back, she left. She never came back."

Tris was shocked that a mother would leave a child with an abusive father. She squeezed his hand. She could see the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. She wanted to tell him to stop talking because she could tell how much it was hurting him, but he seemed like he needed to get this out. He'd probably needed to for a long time. He took a minute to compose himself before going on.

"She was in an accident. The police came to the house to tell us. When the police officer walked in, he was carrying a train set. He said the train set had been found in the car after the accident. She had rushed out to get the train set and died because of it."

"Oh Four! You blamed yourself. You were just a little boy!"

"I did blame myself for a long time, but then I took that anger at myself and I turned it on Christmas. I blamed Christmas for everything that was wrong in my life and my resentment for it never faded, it grew and made a wall around my heart. A wall that was un-penetrable, until you came along."

Her heart was literally breaking. It hurt in her chest. "I'm so sorry, Four."

He smiled at her and said, "You shouldn't be. You were the only one who got through to me. Do you know what the difference is between you and others that have set out to chip away at that wall?"

"No, what's that?"

"You've treated me like a human being since that first day."

"Other people look at me and see a CEO or a rich man and they treat me differently than they treat each other, even Laurel who knows me better than anyone. She still calls me "Mr. Eaton." You look at me the same as you would any other man."

"Not exactly," Tris told him.

"How's that?" he said.

"I see someone much more special than any other man I've ever known when I look at you," she finally told him. He smiled and just as he seemed to be leaning in to kiss her, the timer went off for the steaks.

He laughed and said, "I'm going to hang on to that thought."

"You better," she said, as she got up to get their dinner out of the oven.

*************PAGEBREAK****************

They had cheesecake and coffee after a game of monopoly. Tris looked outside and saw that the snow had slowed.

"Okay, it's snowman time!"

"Excuse me?" he said as if he was surprised.

"Didn't I say that earlier? It was on the agenda."

"I thought you were kidding," he said.

"I would never kid about making a snowman," she told him. "You brought gloves, right?"

"Oh no! I don't think I did." He was fibbing.

"Yep! Here they are," She told him.

"Oh… goody," he said, sarcastically.

They bundled up and went outside. She led him to a little courtyard on the side of her apartment complex. The snow was barely falling now, but enough had fallen during the night and morning that making a snowman was going to be easy. She started packing the snow so that she could roll a big bottom when she noticed that Four was making little piles of snow and then tamping them down with his gloves.

"What are you doing?" Tris asked him.

"Making a snowman."

"That's not how you do it."

"You make your snowman and I'll make mine," he said. She rolled her eyes and got back to work rolling her snow bottom.

She had her back to him, but what could have only been ten minutes later he said, "Done!"

"You are not… Oh my goodness!" In ten minutes, the man who hated cold weather and Christmas only two days ago had built the most beautiful snowman she had ever seen. "He's beautiful!" Tris said. His face lit up like a child. He was so proud of his work. "You've definitely done this before."

"Thank you," he said, "But no, this is my first snowman. It's all about mechanics though. I'm good at building and designing things." Looking over at his half-rolled snow bottom with his lips quirking like he was trying to hold back a smile he said, "Yours is…"

"Not finished," she told him, turning her back on him again, she got back to work. Another five minutes or so passed when she felt the whiz of a snowball next to her head. Tris looked around and Four was still the only one out here with her. He was trying hard to look innocent.

"Did you just throw a snowball at me?" she asked him, incredulously.

"Of course not. I would never indulge in such an immature…" she'd already been packing one in her hand. While he talked, she threw it and hit him in the side of the face. SMACK! "Oh that's it!" he said, "It's on now." He was rubbing his cheek with his wet glove and she was feeling a little bit bad until…

SMACK! A tightly packed snowball hit her, right in the forehead. She stood still staring at him in disbelief as ice cold water dripped down over her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

He suddenly looked worried. "I'm sorry, Tris! Are you okay?"

Not answering him still, she dropped to her knees and began digging deep into the snow, losing the glove off her left hand. He'd taken a step towards her, thinking she was hurt at first, but then he realized what she was doing. He dropped down to do the same but before he got his hole dug she had packed it together into a ball and stood up and threw it at him. She heard the SMACK and bent down to get her glove, smiling with satisfaction.

"Ha ha! You missed!" he said. He sounded like an insolent twelve year old and even though she'd missed him with her snowball that made her happy. He was having fun. She was wondering how she could possibly have missed him. She turned around to see and SMACK! He got her right upside the head with that one.

Tris narrowed her eyes and pulled her eyebrows together as she dropped down to make another. She threw her snowball first and this time she watched it connect with the back of his head.

He was laughing and still rubbing the back of his head when she felt, SMACK to the back of her own head. How the heck did he do that? She turned to see who was behind her and SMACK! She got hit dead on in the face. It was her neighbor's kids, Susan and Conner. They were eight and ten years old and she'd tangled with them before. They were vicious little snow ball making machines.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be?" she said, "Four, I think you and I should…" SMACK! A snowball came from Four's direction and struck her. The kids were laughing hard now. Tris turned to look at him and said, "Hey! I thought you'd be on my side."

"It's a dog eat dog world," he said. "Every man, woman and child for themselves." While they talked, the little ones made more snowballs. Suddenly it was SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! She and Four both had a barrage of snowballs raining down on them. She couldn't make her own ammunition fast enough and when she finally had one made, she'd throw it recklessly, missing her targets. Four hit them a few times, but they were still way ahead of him. When he got too frustrated with them, he would turn back on her. Traitor!

Snowballs were zooming across the courtyard. They flew away from her and then they flew towards her. She had no idea anymore if any of hers were hitting any of her targets. She was scooping, packing and blindly throwing. There was snow and ice in her face and in her eyes. A few seconds later she was tackled to the snow, Four on top of her. They were both laughing, and the snowball fight was over finally.

"Guess we lost," Tris said.

"Guess so," Four said. There was such an intensity in his gaze as he looked down at her. She started to get up.

"Wait, look up," he said.

She looked up and didn't see anything. "What am I looking at?" she asked.

He had his arm stretched out above their heads and dangling from his fingers was a piece of mistletoe with a red ribbon tied around it. She looked back at him and his face looked so focused and intense. "I love you, Tris Prior."

Tris caught her breath at his admission of his feelings for her. "I'm in love with you too, Four Eaton."

"Call me by my real name, Tobias. I want to hear it from you and only you," Four said.

"I love you, Tobias Eaton," Tris said.

He put his hands on the sides of his face and wound his fingers in the hair that had fallen loose from her hat. It was so sweet, the way he set the whole thing up, like he'd been thinking about how he wanted to do it for a while. Something about the way he touched her made her eyes close and as he leaned down towards her, her lips parted. They'd become a part of each other as soon as his lips brushed against hers. It was a sweet, tentative brush at first, and then it got more urgent as he pulled her up and held me into his chest and crushed his against her, letting his tongue slip in and explore the dark caverns of her mouth. His tongue tasted sweet and his touch was firm and gentle at the same time. They kissed like that for a long time and when he broke it and pulled back, she thinks it took her several more minutes to open her eyes. Tris wanted to savor it, it was perfect.

"Let's take this inside," Tris said.

"Are you saying...?" Four asked.

"If you don't take me inside right now and make passionate love to me, I'll..." Tris didn't finish that sentence as Four bent and picked her up in his arms and carried her inside her apartment.

Moments later, they were in her bedroom, taking each other's clothes off as quickly as they could. "I have died and gone to heaven..." Four said thickly.

"This is your real Christmas present," Tris announced, stretching back against the smooth white bedding with a confidence that she had never known she could possess.

"No, you are my everything," Four told her with conviction.

Four ran a long finger down over the delicate spine he had exposed and then put his mouth there, tracing the line below her smooth ivory skin. "You are so beautiful,"

Tris hid a blissed-out smile behind her tumbling hair and closed her eyes as he lifted his hands to cup her breasts. Her back arched, her straining nipples pushing against his fingers until he tugged on the tender buds and an audible gasp escaped her.

Together they landed on the bed, he was covering her pouting mouth hungrily with his own. Unbridled pleasure snaked through her as his tongue merged with hers. An electrifying push of hunger gripped her as his hands shifted to toy with her breasts. He pushed her back against the pillows and lowered his mouth to her pouting nipples.

"Palest pink like pearls," Four mused, stroking a tender tip with appreciation as he gazed down at her. "I wondered what color they would be..."

Her eyes widened. "Seriously?" she prompted.

"And they're perfect like the rest of you," he groaned, lowering his head to lick a distended crest.

Tris decided to turn the tables as she sat up to dislodge him and pushed him back against the pillows. He studied her with questioning blue eyes semi-veiled by black curling lashes. She spread her fingers across his hard pectoral muscles, stroking down over his sleek rib cage to his flat abdomen.

"Don't stop now," he husked.

Her fingers were clumsy on his belt buckle and the button on the waistband of his trousers, her knuckles nudging against the little furrow of dark hair that disappeared below his clothing. She reached for the zip. Her lack of expertise was obvious to Four and the oddest sensation of tenderness infiltrated him as he noted the tense self-consciousness etched in her flushed face.

"Why do I get the feeling this is a first for you?"

"Everyone is a learner at some stage..." she framed jerkily.

Four yanked down his zip for himself and then tossed her back flat on the bed again while he divested himself of his trousers and his boxers. "If you touched me now, it would all be over far too fast," he told her thickly.

"Can't have that," Tris said.

"Having you in my bed has been my fantasy for weeks."

Her hips jerked and her eyes shut as he traced between her thighs. Her breath snarled in her throat. She was so sensitized that she shuddered when he circled her clitoris with his fingertip. Her whole body was climbing of its own volition into a tight, tense spiral of growing need. Even the brush of a finger against her tight entrance was almost too much to bear. Her hips pushed against the mattress, her heart thumping like thunder inside her chest as he shimmied down the bed, fingertips delicately caressing her inner thighs as he pushed her legs back, opening her.

"No, you can't do that!" she gasped in consternation.

"You don't get to tell me what to do in bed," Four teased her.

The flick of his tongue across torturously tender nerve endings deprived her of voice and then of thought. Her head shifted back and forth on the pillows, the thrum of hunger building up through her body to a siren's scream of need. She gasped, she cried his name, she moaned, she lost control so completely and utterly that when the explosive release of orgasm claimed her it took her by storm. And the world stopped turning for long minutes, her body still quaking with wondrous aftershocks while Four looked down at her with satisfaction.

As Four tilted her back she felt the smooth steel push of him against her still-throbbing core. The tight knot low in her pelvis made its presence felt again, the hollow ache of hunger stirring afresh. He slid against her, easing into her by degrees, straining her delicate sheath.

"You're so tight," he groaned, pulling back again and then angling his hips for another, more forceful entrance.

The sharp stinging pain made Tris flinch for a millisecond and then her body was pushing on past that fleeting discomfort to linger on the satisfying stretch and fullness of his invasion. A little moan broke low in her throat and she moved her hips to luxuriate in the throbbing hardness of his bold masculinity.

"You feel like heaven," he growled in her ear. "Am I hurting you now?"

"Oh, no," she told him truthfully.

And then he moved again, withdrawing and spearing deep enough to wring a cry of startled enjoyment from her. From that moment on her eagerness climbed in tune with Four's every measured thrust. Her heart raced, her legs clamping round his lean hips as she lifted to him, matching his driving rhythm while the electrifying excitement continued to build. And when she reached that peak for the second time she plunged over it in a fevered delirium of intense quivering release, pulling him over with her.

"That was amazing," Four muttered thickly, rolling over onto his back while curving an arm round her trembling body. "You were amazing."

Tris felt totally exhausted and she was content to lie there in the circle of his arms and marvel at the sublime sense of peace she was experiencing. That night they slept together in her bed, enjoying the quiet of Christmas night...it wouldn't be their last.

************EPILOGUE************

Tris walked into the living room of her house with Four, smiling as she watched her husband of six years putting a train set together under their tree that was decorated with several Santas that they had collected over the years. "You're going to spoil him," she said as she walked up to him.

Four smiled as he looked up at his wife. "He's worth it. It's not everyday that you turn five on Christmas and your birthday."

Their son, Theo was turning five tomorrow. When Tris had found out she was pregnant and that she would be due between Christmas and New Year's she had hoped he wouldn't come on Christmas day, but as her labor pains had started she had been ready for him to come along.

Four had been a nervous wreck, backing at the doctor to stop Tris' pain. Her doctor had promptly told Four that _he_ was to blame for his wife's pain. Four then told the doctor how Tris had seduced him for his birthday. Tris had just flown her head back, thinking she would never come back to this hospital.

Finally, after several hours of labor, Theo Andrew Eaton had been born at 12:10 am on Christmas day. Tris had cried upon holding her son, along with her husband. In the newborn room, he along with all the other babies had been swaddled in a Christmas stocking to mark the day.

Now, here they were years later with a sleeping Theo upstairs. Four was finishing putting the train set together when he saw a package from his wife to him, dangling from his wife's hand.

"What's this?" Four asked as Tris sat down beside him.

"One way to find out," Tris said.

Four smiled as he opened his gift, he lifted the tiny item. "Tris?"

"Well it's true," Tris said. She had given him a baby bib that said 'My daddy is a hottie' on it.

"I love you, Tobias," Tris said.

"I love you more," Four said as he leaned down and kissed her belly. "All of you. You are all my Christmas miracles."

The End.


End file.
